title: Improvement of physiological parameters of rats subjected to hypercaloric diet, with the use of Pereskia grandifolia (Cactaceae) leaf flour.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to investigate the anti-obesity effects of Pereskia grandifolia leaf flour on rats fed a hypercaloric diet.
  
  
  
  After a hypercaloric diet for 10 weeks, 21 animals were divided into the following groups and were fed the following diets for 4 weeks: control (CH), hypercaloric diet with P. grandifolia flour (PGF) 5%, and hypercaloric diet with PGF 10%. Several measurements were performed including body weight, food consumption, body mass index, Lee index, liver weight, liver and body moisture content, and body and hepatic lipid level. Data were analyzed by Tukey's test at 5% probability.
  
  
  
  Rats fed PGF diet had decreased food consumption and body weight and showed lower body mass and Lee indices compared to control group. At week 2, weight of the PGF 10% group was statistically lower than the control group (CH). At week 4, the PGF 10% group demonstrated the highest body weight loss compared to the other two groups. There were no significant difference in total lipids and moisture level between the groups; however, rats fed PGF diet had lower hepatic lipids levels than control group and reduced liver weight.
  
  
  
  This suggests that PGF induced weight loss and decreased hepatic lipid level and may be effective in treating obesity and related metabolic diseases.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biological Sciences and Health, Campus Rio Paranaíba, Federal University of Viçosa, Rio Paranaíba, MG, Brazil. Electronic address: martha.almeida@ufv.br.
authors.forename: Martha Elisa Ferreira
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: de Almeida
authors.affiliation: Chemistry Department, Federal University of Lavras, Lavras, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Anderson Assaid
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Simão
authors.affiliation: Chemistry Department, Federal University of Lavras, Lavras, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Angelita Duarte
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Corrêa
authors.affiliation: Chemistry Department, Federal University of Lavras, Lavras, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Regiane Victória
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: de Barros Fernandes
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015992:Body Mass Index; D029421:Cactaceae; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects; D002149:Energy Intake; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D050356:Lipid Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects*; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism; D009929:Organ Size; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D028321:Plant Preparations
keywords: Bioactive compounds; Hypercaloric diet; Obesity; Ora-pro-nobis; Rats