Reversal of high dietary fructose-induced metabolic dysfunction by oral administration of Yacón roots

HONORÉ SM; ALEMAN MN; GENTA SB; SANCHEZ SS

Mendoza, Argentina

Congreso; XLIV Reunión Anual Sociedad Argentina de Farmacología experimental (SAFE); 2012

Sociedad Argentina de Farmacología experimental (SAFE)

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of S. sonchifolius roots (Yacón), rich in FOS, on weight loss, metabolic syndrome-related biochemical parameters, and the regulation of key genes involved in lipid metabolism of hepatic tissue in a high-fructose model in rats. Adult male Wistar rats were maintained on a rat standard chow and randomly separated into a control group (water ad libitum) and a fructose-supplemented group (HF) (fructose 10% w/v, p.o., ad libitum) After 12 weeks HF rats were randomly assigned according to the treatment: HF or a HF+Yacón fluor (340mgFOS/kg) twice a day. After treatment intervention, plasma concentrations of total cholesterol, HDL-c, triglycerides, LDL-c, glucose and insulin were evaluated. The expression of genes involved in lipogenesis (FAS and GPAT) and lipolytic and fatty-acidoxidation-related genes (PPARalpha HMGCoAS) were also analyzed by RT-PCR in liver.We found that HF+Yacón rats exhibited marked attenuation of weight gain and restoration of blood and hepatic lipids. Serum glucose and insulin levels were also improved. We determined that yacon roots reversed HF-induced downregulation of PPARalpha and reduced the HMGCoAS, FAS and GPAT mRNA expression. In conclusion, our data show that Yacón roots have the therapeutic potential in the prevention and/or management of various aspects of the metabolic syndrome.