ANTI-OBESITY EFFECTS OF PULICARIA JAUBERTII E. GAMAL-ELDIN IN HIGH FAT DIET-INDUCED RATS

Noor Kaokabah; Adana Al-Qubati; Ghanya Al-Naqeb

doi:10.22270/ujpr.v5i5.487

Noor Kaokabah Department of Food Sciences and Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Sana’a, Yemen
Adana Al-Qubati Department of Food Sciences and Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Sana’a, Yemen
Ghanya Al-Naqeb Department of Food Sciences and Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Sana’a, Yemen

10.22270/ujpr.v5i5.487

Keywords:

Anti obesity, Pulicaria jaubertii, Yemeni traditional medicine, Yemen

Abstract

Background: Pulicaria jaubertii E. Gamal-Eldin is a traditional medicine and flavoring used in Yemen where a large number of people depend on herbal plants to treat their ailments. This study was conducted to determine and compare the effects of Pulicaria jaubertii leaves and flowers aqueous extract (PJAE) and Pulicaria jaubertii leaves and flowers in powder form mixed with diet (PJPD) on obesity induced rats by high-fat diet (HFD).

Methods: Obesity was experimentally induced in male Sprague Dawley rats by feeding them a high-fat diet for 6 weeks. The rats were divided into 3 groups, the HFD control group, whereas the rats fed HFD only and the PJAE group where the rats fed HFD + PJAE and PJPD where the rats fed HFD + PJPD. PJAE was administrated by gavage at 1g/kg body weight and the activity of PJPD was determined as oral administration at 10% of the diet. Food intake and gain weight were taken once a week and blood samples were obtained at the end of the experiment for lipid profile analysis, glucose level and toxicity parameter including liver and kidney functions parameters.

Results: The results indicated a significant decrease in the percentage of weight gain and in the PJPD group at the fifth and sixth weeks of treatment compared to the HFD control rats. Also, there was a significant decrease in the level of blood triglycerides in the PJPD compared to the HFD group. Where no significant change was observed in the percentage of weight gain and triglyceride level in the PJAE group compared to the HFD control rats. Also, there was no significant changes in all the tested parameters including, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, liver enzymes and creatinine and urea levels.

Conclusion: The results obtained from this study showed that the leaves and flowers of Pulicaria jaubertii mixed with HFD had an anti-obesity effect in rats fed with HFD, and the anti-obesity effects of PJ could be attributed to the phytochemicals present. Therefore, the current study scientifically confirms the traditional use of PJ as a potential candidate for body weight loss.