Xanthohumol lowers body weight and fasting plasma glucose in obese male Zucker fa/fa rats.
Obesity contributes to increased risk for several chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Xanthohumol, a prenylated flavonoid from hops (Humulus lupulus), was tested for efficacy on biomarkers of metabolic syndrome in 4 week old Zucker fa/fa rats, a rodent model of obesity. Rats received daily oral doses of xanthohumol at 0, 1.86, 5.64, and 16.9 mg/kg BW for 6 weeks. All rats were maintained on a high fat (60% kcal) AIN-93G diet for 3 weeks to induce severe obesity followed by a normal AIN-93G (15% kcal fat) diet for the last 3 weeks of the study. Weekly food intake and body weight were recorded. Plasma cholesterol, glucose, insulin, triglyceride, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) levels were assessed using commercial assay kits. Plasma and liver tissue levels of XN and its metabolites were determined by liquid-chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Plasma and liver tissue levels of xanthohumol were similar between low and medium dose groups and significantly (p<0.05) elevated in the highest dose group. There was a dose-dependent effect on body weight and plasma glucose levels. The highest dose group (n=6) had significantly lower plasma glucose levels compared to the control group (n=6) in male but not female rats. There was also a significant decrease in body weight for male rats in the highest dose group (16.9 mg/kg BW) compared to rats that received no xanthohumol, which was also not seen for female rats. Plasma cholesterol, insulin, triglycerides, and MCP-1 as well as food intake were not affected by treatment. The findings suggest that xanthohumol has beneficial effects on markers of metabolic syndrome.
Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA.
Leecole L
LL
Legette
Arlyn Y Moreno
AY
Luna
Ralph L
RL
Reed
Cristobal L
CL
Miranda
Gerd
G
Bobe
Rosita R
RR
Proteau
Jan F
JF
Stevens
D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000187:drug effects*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects; D005215:Fasting; D005260:Female; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000097:blood / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009765:Obesity / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011427:Propiophenones / Q000097:blood / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D011924:Rats, Zucker; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000187:drug effects*
D001786:Blood Glucose; D005419:Flavonoids; D011427:Propiophenones; C104536:xanthohumol