ABSTRACT
Objective: Aim of the study was to investigate the effect of rice-bran water extract (RBE) on the amelioration of metabolic dysfunction in high-fat feeding rats. Method: The study was carried out in high-fat (65% of total calories) feeding Sprague-Dawley rats. Three groups of 8 rats each were separately co-treated daily with three doses (22.05, 220.5, 2,205 mg/kg) of RBE. The study was done in comparison to a group of high-fat feeding rats and a control group. Blood parameters were assayed at the end of the forth week. Results and discussion: RBE at the highest dose was able to significantly (p \< 0.05) hamper the increasing Mean ± SEM of gm weight gain (125.98 ± 7.32 vs 160.72 ± 10.03). Whereas, RBE at the minimum dose of 220.5 mg/kg was able to significantly (p \< 0.05) hamper the increasing gm visceral fat (11.24 ± 0.64 and 8.99 ± 0.72 vs 13.95 ± 0.44) area under the glucose-clearance curve (1,566.85 ± 347.35 and 1,244.83 ± 189.62 vs 2,787.75 ± 472.54) and blood level of triglyceride (62.88 ± 3.29 and 58.75 ± 9.79 vs 66.13 ± 6.06). RBE showed a trend to restore the % homeostasis model assessment of β-cell function (HOMA-β), though there was no statistic significance, but not the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). The ability of RBE to ameliorate the abnormality of glucose homeostasis found in high-fat feeding rats is to reduce visceral fat mass and correct the impaired glucose tolerance. RBE also showed a trend to restore the β-cell function.