Summary
Fermented soy‐powder milk (FSPM) with Lactobacillus plantarum P1201 contains more conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and isoflavone aglycones compared with unfermented soy‐powder milk (UFSPM). In this study, the antiobesity effect of FSPM was investigated in a high‐fat diet (HFD)‐induced obesity model. Results showed that FSPM reduced the weight of body, body weight gain, liver and mesenteric white adipose tissue by 10.7%, 17.7%, 32.8% and 24.1%, respectively, compared with the HFD group. Meanwhile, FSPM suppressed the HFD‐induced increase of serum parameters such as total and low‐density lipoprotein, cholesterol, alanine transaminase, glucose and c‐peptide. To investigate how FSPM ameliorated obesity, several lipid metabolism and inflammation‐related genes in liver were analysed. FSPM significantly ameliorated HFD‐induced hepatic steatosis by down‐regulating peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor gamma, lipoprotein lipase, fatty acid synthase, acetyl CoA carboxylase, adipocyte fatty acid‐binding protein, tumour necrosis factor alpha and interleukin 1 beta. Our results showed FSPM can protect against HFD‐induced obesity.