Anti-obesity and Anti-fatty Liver Effects of Cynara scolymus L. Leaf Extract in Mice under Diet-induced Obesity

Objective: In this study, we conducted an animal study to investigate the effect of Cynara leaf extract (CLE) on visceral fat and serum lipid profile in animals fed on high fat diet (HFD). In addition, we focused on gene expression of some lipogenesis and lipolysis enzymes to investigate the anti-obesity and anti- fatty liver mechanism of CLE.

Methods: Thirty male mice Swiss albino strain, at age of six weeks were classified into 3 groups. The first group was kept on standard normal diet and served as healthy control. Other animals received HFD for 4 weeks. These animals were assigned as HFD group and HFD + 5% Cynara scolymus leaf extract (CLE) -treated group.

Results: CLE supplementation significantly reduced both body weight and white adipose tissue (WAT) weight with significant decrease in serum cholesterol, LDL- C and triacylglycerol. While serum HDL-C was significantly increased as compared to HFD group. Moreover, in the histological analysis, CLE improved fatty liver.

Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) revealed that CLE up regulate the expression of mRNA of acetyl Co A (ACO) and hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL), in contrast, it suppressed the expression of fatty acid synthase (FAS) gene in the liver. While in WAT, the expressions of HSL gene was significantly upregulated at the main time FAS gene was down regulate when compared to HFD group.

Conclusion: These results suggest that CLE exerts anti-obesity and anti-fatty liver effects in high-fat diet-induced obese mice through suppressing lipogenesis in the liver, stimulating lipolysis in WAT.