A novel dietary multifunctional ingredient reduces body weight and improves leptin sensitivity in cafeteria diet-fed rats

Abstract

The use of a single family of dietary bioactive compounds has not been sufficient to manage highly regulated mechanisms such as body weight. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the effect of a multifunctional ingredient (MIX) based on the co-administration of a low dose of conjugated linoleic acid with the protein hydrolysate from chicken feet, Hpp11, and a mixture of grape-seed proanthocyanidins and berry anthocyanins on body weight management in obese rats fed a cafeteria diet. The daily oral administration of the MIX for three weeks significantly reversed obesity and hyperleptinemia and increased energy expenditure and fat oxidation. In addition, animals administered the MIX exhibited greater hypothalamic activation of STAT3 in POMC-expressing neurons than non-supplemented animals. Our results strongly suggest that the co-administration of different bioactive compounds could be a promising strategy to complement the existing therapies against obesity and leptin resistance.

Keywords

• Anthocyanidins
• Bioactive peptides
• Conjugated linoleic acid
• Multi-ingredient
• Obesity
• Proanthocyanidins