Anti-obesity effects of a standardised hydro-alcoholic extract of blackcurrant leaf in Wistar rat subjected to a high-fat diet

Blackcurrant extract (BCE) is reported to exert anti-obesity effects. However its effectiveness in alleviating obesity-related disorders caused by a high-fat diet (HFD) intake remains insufficiently documented. Moreover, there are no reports on whether BCE with a composition close to the totum differentially affects obesity when compared to a one of its active compounds.

We evaluated the anti-obesity effects of a standardised hydro-alcoholic BCE of leaves in a HFD-induced obesity rat model, and compared its effects with one of its active compounds, quercetin at two doses, lower dose being the level of quercetin present in the extract.

Thirty-six, 11-week-old Wistar rats were randomly divided into six groups: control, untreated HFD rats, BCE (40 and 50 mg/BW)-treated HFD rats and quercetin (0.9 and 50 mg BW)-treated HFD rats. Rats received oral gavage daily with water or treatments for 12 weeks. Compared with the control group, HFD rats showed an increase in body weight (BW), abdominal circumference, and adiposity index. The BW gain was prevented only by the lower dose BCE and the higher dose of quercetin. The HFD decreased oral glucose tolerance which was attenuated by the lower dose of quercetin. Hepatic glutathione peroxidase activity was increased in the HFD group and only BCE treatment counteracted this change.

Those findings highlight the advantage of lower dose BCE (totum of the plant) over lower dose quercetin; but the beneficial anti-obesity effects of BCE seem to depend on the dose used. The significance of these results will be discussed.

 

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Publication History

Article published online:
16 November 2023