Anti-obesity and hepatoprotective effects in obese rats fed diets supplemented with fruit purees

Abstract In this work, the effect of the intake of a low-fat diet supplemented with a fruit puree (guava-strawberry, guava-blackberry, guava-soursop or guava-passion fruit) by obese rats on reduction of body weight, lipid profile, and liver enzyme activity was evaluated. The rats (n=6 for each treatment) were induced to obesity with a high-fat diet for 4 weeks, then they were fed with a low-fat diet plus a fruit puree for 4 weeks. Healthy rats and obese rats fed with standard diet as controls were considered. The additional consumption of fruit purees was associated with a reduction in body weight (16-24%), a control in the metabolism of plasma lipids decreasing the levels of total cholesterol (59-68%) and triacylglycerols (61-82%). We found a significant reduction in inflammation markers and liver damage; enzyme activity (alanine aminotransaminase, aspartate aminotransferase, γ-glutamyl transferase and alkaline phosphatase) decreased, and a notable improvement in liver morphology was observed. The consumption of fruit purees by obese individuals could contribute to the control of and improvement in the complications of obesity caused by alterations in lipoproteins.