Lagenaria siceraria fruit extract ameliorate fat amassment and serum TNF-α in high-fat diet-induced obese rats

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the effects of ethanolic extract of Lagenaria siceraria fruit (ELSF) on fat amassment and serum TNF- α in high-fat diet-induced obese rats.@*METHODS@#The high fat diet induced obese rats were orally treated with orlistat (50 mg/kg) and ELSF (100, 200, 300 mg/kg/day) to the respective treatment groups. The body weight, fasting blood glucose level, lipid profile, serum levels of tumor necrosis factor- α (TNF-α) in rats were measured after 30 days of treatment and compared to the obese control animals.@*RESULTS@#ELSF significantly (P < 0.001) reduced the body weight gain, fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride, total protein and TNF-α.@*CONCLUSIONS@#These encouraging findings suggest that Lagenaria siceraria has excellent pharmacological potential to prevent fat amassment.

The influence of Alpinia calcarata extract on the serum lipid and leptin levels of rats with hyperlipidemia induced by high-fat diet

Objective: To study the effect of ethanolic extract from Alpinia calcarata rhizomes on the serum lipid and leptin levels of rats with hyperlipidemia induced by high-fat diet. Methods: Male wistar rats were divided into six groups: normal, high-fat diet control (HFD) and ethanolic extract of Alpinia calcarata rhizomes (ACRE) (100, 200 and 300 mg/kg; p.o.) was administered to the high fat-diet-induced hyperlipidemic rats for 30 days to evaluate its antihyperlipidemic activity. Atorvastatin (10 mg/kg; p.o.) was used as a standard drug. Results: The results demonstrated that in HFD-induced hyperlipidemic rat, ACRE reduced rat weight gain, triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol levels (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), total protein (TP) and leptin level (pg/mL). Conclusions: These encouraging findings suggest that ACRE has excellent pharmacological potential to prevent hyperlipidemia.