ID 50581 Poster Board 496Background and Aim: Obesity is growing at epidemic proportions and is an independent risk factor for diabetes and cardiovascular disease. A paucity of safe and effective anti-obesity drugs and nutraceuticals have been explored to prevent weight gain. The root of the balloon flower Platycodon grandiflorus (Jacquin) (PG) has been used in traditional medicine. A recent report indicates that its root extract reduces body weight and facilitates thermogenesis. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of PG in attenuating weight gain and insulin resistance in a mouse model of diet-induced obesity.Methods: Five-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were randomly assigned to receive a normal diet group (ND) (10 kcal% fat), or a high-fat-diet (HFD) (60 kcal% fat), with or without 1.025 ppm PG (HFD+PG) (n=8/per group) for a period of twelve weeks. Animal weight and food intake were assessed weekly during the treatment period. In the last week of treatment, glucose tolerance was assessed by an intra-peritoneal glucose tolerance test (IPGTT), and body composition (fat mass and lean body mass) was assessed by dual x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). Hepatic liver accumulation was assessed via H&E stain with image J analysis. Data are expressed as mean ± S.E.M and statistically evaluated using analysis of variance followed by Tukey's multiple comparisons.Results: Thirteen weeks of treatment with HFD induced weight gain (p <0.0001) compared to ND animals (47.0 ± 1.72 g vs. 28.4 g ± 1.74g), which was attenuated by HFD + PG supplementation (43.0 ± 3.8 g; p <0.0001). Compared to ND animals, fat accumulation in the liver was significantly increased following HFD-feeding (p <0.01), which was blunted in mice that received HFD + PG by 78,5% (p <0.05). In contrast, PG supplementation did not alter food intake, IPGTT, or DEXA outcomes (p $0.05).Conclusion: Supplementation with P. grandifloras attenuates weight gain and hepatic steatosis in a dietary mouse model of obesity.