B vitamins reduce body weight gain and increase metabolism related enzyme activities in rats (828.11)

B vitamins as enzyme cofactors play an important role in energy metabolism. The aim of this study was to determine whether B vitamins can affect body weight (BW) and activity of energy metabolism‐related enzymes in an animal model. Fifty Wistar rats were randomly divided to 3 groups and were fed a diet containing 10% fat (LF), a diet containing 45% fat (HF), or a HF diet supplemented with B vitamins (100 mg/kg BW for both thiamine and riboflavin, 250 mg/kg niacin) (HF+B). After rats were fed for 12 weeks, HF group had significantly larger weight gain than LF group (285.2±14.8 g versus 159.1±53.0 g, P <0.05), while HF+B group had a weight gain (154.5±58.4 g) not significantly different from that in LF group. In addition, compared to HF group, HF+B group had significantly lower levels of plasma total cholesterol (1.19±0.18 mM versus 1.59±0.30 mM), and triglyceride (0.76±0.34 mM versus 1.55±0.40 mM). Activity of transketolase, glutathione reductase, and Na + /K + adenosine triphosphatase was higher in HF+B group than that in HF group. In conclusion, B vitamin supplementation reduces HF‐induced weigh gain and increase in blood lipids, which may be associated with enhanced activity of the energy metabolism‐related enzymes. Grant Funding Source : NSFC‐81172662