EVALUATION OF ANTIOBESITY ACTIVITY OF METHANOLIC EXTRACT OF CARALLUMA TUBERCULATA AERIAL PARTS ON HIGH FAT DIET-INDUCED OBESE WISTAR RATS

V.S. Kulkarni*, P. Vaishnavi and V. Alagarsamy

ABSTRACT

The present study received a methanolic extract of Caralluma tuberculata (MECT) aerial parts on high-fat diet (HFD) induced obese Wistar rats orally. The administration of orlistat at 30 mg/kg of b.w. is a standard treatment. The Wistar rats received MECT, ranging from 150 mg/kg to 300 mg/kg over 49 days. After completion of the experimental period, they tested body weight, food intake, weight of organs (liver, kidney, and heart), body mass index (BMI), and adipose tissue weight. In addition to a histological examination, biochemical markers such as total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoproteins (LDL), very low-density lipoproteins (VLDL), and high-density lipoproteins (HDL) were measured. The results revealed a significant decrease in body weight, changes in food intake, organ weight, adipose tissue weight, and altered biochemical parameters. The histopathological examination of adipose tissue revealed the alleviating effect of MECT, which is evident by the reduced size of adipocytes.

Keywords: Caralluma tuberculata, Obesity activity, High-fat diet, Orlistat and Histo studies.