title: Potent anti-obesity effect of enteric-coated lactoferrin: decrease in visceral fat accumulation in Japanese men and women with abdominal obesity after 8-week administration of enteric-coated lactoferrin tablets.
abstract: Lactoferrin (LF), a multifunctional glycoprotein in mammalian milk, is reported to exert a modulatory effect on lipid metabolism. The aim of the present study was to elucidate whether enteric-coated LF (eLF) might improve visceral fat-type obesity, an underlying cause of the metabolic syndrome. Using a double-blind, placebo-controlled design, Japanese men and women (n 26; aged 22-60 years) with abdominal obesity (BMI>25 kg/m2, and visceral fat area (VFA)>100 cm2) consumed eLF (300 mg/d as bovine LF) or placebo tablets for 8 weeks. Measurement of the total fat area, VFA and subcutaneous fat area from computed tomography images revealed a significant reduction in VFA ( - 14.6 cm2) in the eLF group, as compared with the placebo controls ( - 1.8 cm2; P = 0.009 by ANCOVA). Decreases in body weight, BMI and hip circumference in the eLF group ( - 1.5 kg, - 0.6 kg/m2, - 2.6 cm) were also found to be significantly greater than with the placebo (+1.0 kg, +0.3 kg/m2, - 0.2 cm; P = 0.032, 0.013, 0.041, respectively). There was also a tendency for a reduction in waist circumference in the eLF group ( - 4.4 cm) as compared with the placebo group ( - 0.9 cm; P = 0.073). No adverse effects of the eLF treatment were found with regard to blood lipid or biochemical parameters. From these results, eLF appears to be a promising agent for the control of visceral fat accumulation.
authors.affiliation: Research and Development Headquarters, Lion Corporation, Odawara, Kanagawa, Japan. tomoono@lion.co.jp
authors.forename: Tomoji
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ono
authors.forename: Michiaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Murakoshi
authors.forename: Noriyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Norio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Iida
authors.forename: Motoyasu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ohdera
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iigo
authors.forename: Toshihide
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Keikichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sugiyama
authors.forename: Hoyoku
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nishino
mesh_terms: D050154:Adiposity / Q000187:drug effects*; D000328:Adult; D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D044466:Asian People; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006615:Hip / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D006801:Humans; D050152:Intra-Abdominal Fat / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D007781:Lactoferrin / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D056128:Obesity, Abdominal / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013608:Tablets, Enteric-Coated; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D055105:Waist Circumference / Q000187:drug effects; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents; D013608:Tablets, Enteric-Coated; D007781:Lactoferrin