title: Consumption of Pueraria flower extract reduces body mass index via a decrease in the visceral fat area in obese humans.
abstract: In Japan, kudzu is a familiar plant, well-known as an ingredient in the Japanese-style confections kudzu-kiri and kudzu-mochi. In this study, we focused on the flower of kudzu (Pueraria thomsonii) and conducted a clinical trial to investigate the effects of Pueraria thomsonii flower extract (PFE) on obesity using obese Japanese males and females (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m(2)). Eighty-one obese subjects were randomly divided into three groups and consumed test food containing 300 mg of PFE, 200 mg of PFE, and a placebo over 12 weeks. The results indicate that PFE intake reduces BMI and decreases, the visceral fat area, but not the subcutaneous fat area. In addition, the decrease in visceral fat area showed no sexual dimorphism. Consequently, we propose that PFE intake expresses its BMI reduction effects via a decrease in visceral fat area.
authors.affiliation: Research and Development Division, Toyo Shinyaku Co., Ltd., 7-28 Yayoigaoka, Tosu, Saga 841-0005, Japan. kamiyat@toyoshinyaku.co.jp
authors.forename: Tomoyasu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kamiya
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Takano
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Matsuzuka
authors.forename: Nobutaka
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kusaba
authors.forename: Motoya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ikeguchi
authors.forename: Kinya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takagaki
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kondo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D044466:Asian People; D001823:Body Composition / Q000187:drug effects; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D035264:Flowers / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D050152:Intra-Abdominal Fat / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D010919:Placebos; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D029908:Pueraria / Q000737:chemistry*; D050151:Subcutaneous Fat / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D010919:Placebos; D010936:Plant Extracts; D014280:Triglycerides