Comparative Studies of the Effect of Sphenocentrum jollyanum Pierre on High Fat and High Carbohydrate Diet Induced Obesity in Rats

Aim: The aim of this study was to compare the effect of ethanolic extract of Sphenocentrum jollyanum on high fat and high carbohydrate diet induced obesity in male wistar rats.
Methodology: 30 male wistar rats used for this study were divided into 5 groups of 6 rats each. Group 1 was fed the normal pellet diet (NPD), Group 2 and 3 were fed with high fat diet (HFD), Group 4 and 5 were with fed high carbohydrate diet (HCD) and all groups had free access to diets and water ad libitum for 18 weeks. Treatment with 500mg/kg b.w ethanolic extract of S. jollyanum for Group 3 and 5 started in the 14thweek, that is, at the end of obesity induction and lasted for another four weeks. The extract was suspended in normal saline and administered orally to the rats using a gavage tube. Thereafter, the food intake, body weight, total fat mass, adiposity index, total cholesterol, triglycerides, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, very low density lipoprotein cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, glucose, insulin and leptin were measured.
Results: The results showed that feeding with HFD and HCD significantly increased (p<0.05) body weight, total fat mass, adiposity index, total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), very density low cholesterol (VDL-C), low density low cholesterol (LDL-C), creatine kinanse (CK) activity, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), glucose, insulin and leptin levels. The ethanolic extract of S. jollyanum significantly decreased total fat mass, adiposity index, TC, TG, VDL-C, LDL-C, CK activity, LDH, glucose and leptin levels in the HFD group. While among the HCD group, S. jollyanum significantly decreased total fat mass, adiposity index and CK activity.
Conclusion: The high fat and high carbohydrate diet induced obesity in the wistar rats and the decrease in the lipid profile, heart biomarkers, glucose and leptin by ethanolic extract of S. jollyanum shows that the plant might possess anti-obesity effect.