Study the Potential Effect of Dietary Intervention with Strawberry and Cauliflower Leaves on Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, Insulin Resistance and Histological Alterations in Diet-Induced Obese Rat

Ismail, Neveen; Elhassaneen, Yousif Abd Elasis Elhassaneen; Abd El-Aziz, Amany Ahmed

doi:10.21608/asejaiqjsae.2024.380522

Study the Potential Effect of Dietary Intervention with Strawberry and Cauliflower Leaves on Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, Insulin Resistance and Histological Alterations in Diet-Induced Obese Rat

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Nutrition and Food Science Department, Faculty of Home Economics, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt

² Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Faculty of Home Economics, Minoufiya University, Shebin El-Kom, Egypt

³ Home Economic Department, Faculty of Specific Education, South Valley University, Qena, Egypt

10.21608/asejaiqjsae.2024.380522

Abstract

The present study investigated the effects of dietary interventions using strawberry leaf powder (SLP) and cauliflower leaf powder (CLP) on oxidative stress, inflammation, insulin resistance, and histological changes in diet-induced obese rats. Thirty-six rats were divided into two main groups: Group 1 (6 rats) received a basic diet (BD), while Group 2 (30 rats) was fed a high-fat diet to induce obesity over 8 weeks. Group 2 was then further divided into four subgroups: subgroup 2 served as the obese control (DIO), while subgroups 3, 4, and 5 were fed a BD supplemented with 10% CLP, 10% SLP, and a combination of CLP and SLP, respectively. At the end of the 8-week period, the normal group's body weight (BW) gain was 0.95%, food intake (FI) was 13.94 g/day/rat, and the feed efficiency ratio (FER) was 0.079. In contrast, the obese control group saw increases of 58.49%, 30.27%, and 23.59%, respectively. Supplementation with CLP, SLP, and the combined mix led to a significant (p≤0.05) reduction in BW, FI, and FER among obese rats. Furthermore, CLP and SLP effectively improved obesity-related conditions by lowering serum glucose and insulin levels, protecting the liver by reducing serum enzyme activity, increasing antioxidant levels (GSH and GSSG), and improving inflammatory markers (TNF-α, IL-6, and NO). Additionally, they reduced the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA), indicating lower lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress. The study also highlighted the positive effects of these supplements on obesity-related histological changes in adipose and liver tissues. These findings suggest that dietary modifications with plant-based components can help mitigate obesity-related complications, including oxidative stress, inflammation, and insulin resistance.

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