Anti‑obesity effect of Carica papaya in high‑fat diet fed rats

Abstract

The present study evaluated the anti-obesity properties of papaya in high-fat (HF) diet fed rats. In the in vitro portion of the present study, the effects of papaya juice on pancreatic lipase enzyme activity was assessed, and it was shown that papaya exhibited an inhibitory effect on these enzymes. In the in vivo portion of the study, papaya was found to reduce the expression levels of markers of obesity, inflammation and oxidative stress in rats. Obesity was induced in 28 male Sprague Dawley rats by feeding them a HF diet for 12 weeks. The anti-obesity effects of papaya was evaluated by feeding papaya juice orally in with two experimental doses: 0.5 ml (HFL) and 1.0 ml (HFH) per 100 g of body weight. The HF diet resulted in significant increases in the body weight, serum triglyceride, serum total cholesterol and serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, as well as a decrease in serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. The HF diet also induced adipocyte hypertrophy, lipid accumulation and increased malondialdehyde levels. Papaya reversed all of these changes and significantly increased serum superoxide dismutase and decreased serum cytokine (interleukin-6) levels. The protein expression of levels PPARγ in the HF group was significantly increased compared with the other groups, but was decreased significantly in the HFH group. Histological observations of epididymal adipose tissue provided evidence for the lipid-lowering effects of papaya. The results of the present study demonstrate that papaya has the potential to reduce the risk of obesity associated with adiposity, anti-inflammation and anti-oxidation.

Procyanidins from hawthorn (Crataegus pinnatifida) alleviate lipid metabolism disorder via inhibiting insulin resistance and oxidative stress, normalizing the gut microbiota structure and intestinal barrier, and further suppressing hepatic inflammation and lipid accumulation

“…30 A long-term high-fat diet could lead to disorders of the body's lipid metabolism, liver lipid accumulation and hyperglycemic status in rats, 33 intensifying glucose oxidation to produce excessive oxidative products. Chronic intake of highfat diet has been proved to increase the prevalence of LMD and relative diseases, 34 such as obesity, hyperlipidemia, insulin resistance and cardiovascular disease. In this study, after 8 weeks of high-fat diet feeding, the level of blood lipids increased significantly, accompanied by reduced insulin sensitivity and imbalance of glucose homeostasis.…”

Beneficial Role of Carica papaya Extracts and Phytochemicals on Oxidative Stress and Related Diseases: A Mini Review

“…Somanah and co-workers revealed that papaya extracts at a dose of 2 mg/mL showed protective effects through attenuated ROS production and pro-inflammatory cytokines secretion of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and TNF-α as well as upregulating antioxidant enzymes activities [ 18 ]. Another in vivo study showed that papaya juice demonstrated anti-obesity properties by reducing obesity markers, inflammation and oxidative stress in high-fat diet rats by upregulating SOD levels, attenuated serum malondialdehyde (MDA), PPAR-γ, lipid peroxidation, and ROS production at a treatment dose of 1 mL per 100 g of body weight [ 19 ].…”

“…In addition, a range of phytochemicals with great strength of anti-inflammatory effect, such as benzyl isothiocyanate (BiTC), β-carotene, lycopene, and vitamin C could be found in various parts of papaya fruits, in either pulp or seeds. These phytochemicals were proven to inhibit pro-inflammatory cytokines including TNF-α, IL-6 and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) [ 18 , 19 ]. In addition, polyphenols within Carica papaya could act as free radical scavenger and at the same time exerting its effects in upregulating the antioxidant enzymes activities [ 18 ].…”

In Vitro Antilipidic and Antithrombotic Activities of Plectranthus glandulosus (Lamiaceae) Leaves Extracts and Fractions

“…Chronic consumption of a high fat diet has been shown to increase adipogenesis. Fats are transported to the blood system and delivered to the adipose tissue and liver, leading to lipid accumulation and the development of adipogenesis [ 54 , 55 ]. In this study, adipogenesis in SW-872 was induced by oleic acid treatment, which is actually a potent adipogenic promoter.…”