Ferulic acid lowers body weight and visceral fat accumulation via modulation of enzymatic, hormonal and inflammatory changes in a mouse model of high-fat diet-induced obesity

Previous studies have reported on the glucose and lipid-lowering effects of ferulic acid (FA) but its anti-obesity potential has not yet been firmly established. This study investigated the possible anti-obesitogenic effects of FA in mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 15 weeks. To assess the antiobesity potential of FA, 32 male Swiss mice, weighing 20–25 g (n=6–8 per group) were fed a normal diet (ND) or HFD, treated orally or not with either FA (10 mg/kg) or sibutramine (10 mg/kg) for 15 weeks and at the end of this period, the body weights of animals, visceral fat accumulation, plasma levels of glucose and insulin hormone, amylase and lipase activities, the satiety hormones ghrelin and leptin, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCH-1) were analyzed. Results revealed that FA could effectively suppress the HFD-associated increase in visceral fat accumulation, adipocyte size and body weight gain, similar to sibutramine, the positive control. FA also significantly (P<0.05) decreased the HFD-induced elevations in serum lipid profiles, amylase and lipase activities, and the levels of blood glucose and insulin hormone. The markedly elevated leptin and decreased ghrelin levels seen in HFD-fed control mice were significantly (P<0.05) reversed by FA treatment, almost reaching the values seen in ND-fed mice. Furthermore, FA demonstrated significant (P<0.05) inhibition of serum levels of inflammatory mediators TNF-α, and MCH-1. These results suggest that FA could be beneficial in lowering the risk of HFD-induced obesity via modulation of enzymatic, hormonal and inflammatory responses.

Validation of a Food Frequency Interview Schedule to Assess the Dietary Intake of the Population in Hyderabad City - A Cross-Sectional Study

The food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) is the preferred method to evaluate long-term usual dietary intake in population-based epidemiological studies because it is simple, easy to administer and requires minimal effort from the subjects. Therefore, we validated a food frequency interview schedule (FFIS) to estimate the dietary intakes of the urban population of Hyderabad city. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among five socio-economic sections of Hyderabad. Areas for the survey were selected by cluster random sampling and households in each area were selected by simple random sampling. The FFIS was developed and validated against a 6-day 24-hour dietary recall (HDR) method. The instruments were administered to the participants six months apart to check for reproducibility. Statistical analyses for validation and reproducibility included correlation, regression analyses and paired t-test. Results: Means of intakes of foods measured by 24-HDR were significantly lower than those measured by FFIS for some foods at alpha levels of 0.05. Pearson's correlation (r) for the intakes by the two methods ranged from 0.12 to 0.85. Regression coefficients were significant for 12 food groups. Correlation coefficients for the two FFISs were between 0.31 (spices) and 0.81 (carbonated beverages) and showed good reproducibility. Intakes of conventional foods like cereals, pulses, vegetables etc. by FFIS correlated better with 24-HDR than the processed foods such as breakfast cereals and bakery items. Conclusion: The data suggests that the FFIS is a well-validated, reproducible tool for assessment of long term dietary habits of a specific population. However, its use for populations of other regions requires specific modifications.