CALORIC RESTRICTION OR PURSLANEEXTRACT ALLEVIATE HIGH FAT DIET EFFECTS ON THE RELEASE OF PRO-AND ANTI INFLAMMATORY CYTO- OR ADIPOKINES INOBESE RAT

Obesity is a medical condition characterized by excessive body fat with high body mass index (BMI), which leads to serious impairment of health. The pathological conditions associated with excess weight may be related to adiposity-induced inflammation as obesity is characterized by a state of chronic low grade inflammation accompanied with altered circulatory levels of inflammatory mediators (Inflam Med)such as cytokines and adipokines .Therefore ,the present study was designed to investigate the effects of caloric restricted diet(Rest) or purslane(portulacaoleracea L.)extract (pursext)on high fat diet (HFD)induced obesity and changes in the levels of some Inflam Med including the pro-inflammatory IL-1β, IL-6, IL- 12 ,TNF- a and resistin,and the anti-inflammatory IL-2andadiponectininrats.Fifty mature malerats were divided into 5 groups (10animals each).1stfed on normal diet. 2ndfed on HFD for 18 weeks. 3rdfed on HFDfor 18 weeks then caloricrestricted diet for 4 weeks(Rest-4). 4thfed on HFDfor 18 weeks then caloricrestricted diet for 8 weeks (Rest-8) . 5thfed on HFDand gavaged daily 1g/kg BW ofpursext(HFD + pursext)for 18 weeks.Induced obesity caused an increase in the anthropometric measures [final BW,BMI andabdominal circumference(AC)],serum levels ofresistin,IL-1β, IL-2, IL-6, IL-12 and TNF-a,and a decrease in serumadiponectin level.These HFD induced disturbances in anthropometric measures and serum Inflam Medlevels were for some extentalleviated in rats fed on caloric restricted dietor orally supplemented with purslaneextract, indicating similar positiveefficacy of both to protect the body against the inflammatory responseto obesity