Xanthohumol lowers body weight and fasting plasma glucose in obese male Zucker fa/fa rats

Phytochemistry. 2013 Jul:91:236-41. doi: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2012.04.018. Epub 2012 May 27.

Abstract

Obesity contributes to increased risk for several chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Xanthohumol, a prenylated flavonoid from hops (Humulus lupulus), was tested for efficacy on biomarkers of metabolic syndrome in 4 week old Zucker fa/fa rats, a rodent model of obesity. Rats received daily oral doses of xanthohumol at 0, 1.86, 5.64, and 16.9 mg/kg BW for 6 weeks. All rats were maintained on a high fat (60% kcal) AIN-93G diet for 3 weeks to induce severe obesity followed by a normal AIN-93G (15% kcal fat) diet for the last 3 weeks of the study. Weekly food intake and body weight were recorded. Plasma cholesterol, glucose, insulin, triglyceride, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) levels were assessed using commercial assay kits. Plasma and liver tissue levels of XN and its metabolites were determined by liquid-chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Plasma and liver tissue levels of xanthohumol were similar between low and medium dose groups and significantly (p<0.05) elevated in the highest dose group. There was a dose-dependent effect on body weight and plasma glucose levels. The highest dose group (n=6) had significantly lower plasma glucose levels compared to the control group (n=6) in male but not female rats. There was also a significant decrease in body weight for male rats in the highest dose group (16.9 mg/kg BW) compared to rats that received no xanthohumol, which was also not seen for female rats. Plasma cholesterol, insulin, triglycerides, and MCP-1 as well as food intake were not affected by treatment. The findings suggest that xanthohumol has beneficial effects on markers of metabolic syndrome.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Blood Glucose / drug effects*
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Eating / drug effects
  • Fasting*
  • Female
  • Flavonoids / blood
  • Flavonoids / chemistry
  • Flavonoids / pharmacology*
  • Male
  • Molecular Structure
  • Obesity / drug therapy*
  • Propiophenones / blood
  • Propiophenones / chemistry
  • Propiophenones / pharmacology*
  • Rats
  • Rats, Zucker
  • Weight Loss / drug effects*

Substances

  • Blood Glucose
  • Flavonoids
  • Propiophenones
  • xanthohumol