Phytochemical analysis and effects on ingestive behaviour of a Caralluma fimbriata extract

Annabella Vitalone; Antonella Di Sotto; Caterina Loredana Mammola; Rosemarie Heyn; Selenia Miglietta; Paola Mariani; Fabio Sciubba; Francesca Passarelli; Paola Nativio; Gabriela Mazzanti

doi:10.1016/j.fct.2017.07.027

Phytochemical analysis and effects on ingestive behaviour of a Caralluma fimbriata extract

Food Chem Toxicol. 2017 Oct;108(Pt A):63-73. doi: 10.1016/j.fct.2017.07.027. Epub 2017 Jul 13.

Affiliations

¹ Department of Physiology and Pharmacology "V. Erspamer", Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy.
² Department of Physiology and Pharmacology "V. Erspamer", Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy. Electronic address: antonella.disotto@uniroma1.it.
³ Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Via A. Borelli 50, 00161 Rome, Italy.
⁴ Department of General and Specialized Surgery "P. Stefanini", Sapienza University of Rome, V.le Del Policlinico 155, 00161 Rome, Italy.
⁵ Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy.
⁶ Department of Molecular Medicine and of Medical Surgical Sciences and Biotechnology, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy.

PMID: 28713048
DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2017.07.027

Abstract

Caralluma fimbriata Wall. is currently used as a "natural slimming" food supplement, likely due to its content in pregnane glycosides. In the present study, a commercially available Caralluma fimbriata extract (Slimaluma^®; CFE, 100 mg/kg) has been evaluated for its ability to affect the ingestive behaviour in female rats, also with reference to the modulation of the brain neuropeptides NPY and ORX.The interference of CFE with α-amylase and lipase enzymes has been investigated in vitro, as possible peripheral mechanism of action. Also, the chemical composition of CFE has been assessed by NMR and spectrophotometric analysis. Results from in vivo study showed that CFE induced effects neither on blood parameters, nor on liver and gut histomorphology. Interestingly, a reduction in body weight gain with an increase in water intake and hypothalamic levels of NPY and ORX peptides were found. Phytochemical analysis, showed CFE contained about 12% of pregnane glycosides and 1.3% of polyphenols. Present results suggest possible effects of C. fimbriata on ingestive behaviour, likely mediated by central and peripheral mechanisms.

Keywords: Metabolomic analysis; Neuropeptide Y; Orexin; Pregnane glycosides; Slimming products; Water intake.

MeSH terms

Animals
Apocynaceae / chemistry*
Appetite Depressants / chemistry
Appetite Depressants / pharmacology*
Eating / drug effects
Feeding Behavior / drug effects*
Female
Phytochemicals / chemistry
Phytochemicals / pharmacology*
Plant Extracts / chemistry
Plant Extracts / pharmacology*
Random Allocation
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Substances

Appetite Depressants
Phytochemicals
Plant Extracts