Impact of Elateriospermum tapos Supplementation on Leptin and Hypothalamic Signaling in Female Offspring of High-Fat Diet-Induced Obese

Abstract

Purpose: The central nervous system (CNS) plays a crucial role in regulating food intake and energy expenditure to maintain energy homeostasis in the body, which can lead to obesity. Alternative therapeutic approaches, including herbal interventions, have gained significance in the efforts to reduce obesity. Elateriospermum tapos (E. tapos) seeds and shells contain flavonoids that can potentially support weight reduction. This study investigated the effects of E. tapos supplementation on the hypothalamic feeding pathway. Methods: Thirty adult female Sprague-Dawley rats were used in this study. To induce obesity, 24 rats were placed in an obese group and fed a high-fat diet (HFD) along with cafeteria food for a period of five weeks. The remaining six rats, designated as the control group (DCG), were fed standard chow. Subsequently, the HFD rats were divided into four groups: negative (DNG) fed HFD only, positive (DPG) with 200 mg/kg of orlistat, treatment 1 (DTX1) with E. tapos seed (200 mg/kg), and treatment 2 (DTX2) shell (200 mg/kg) daily for six weeks prior to pregnancy. On postnatal day 21 (PND21), female rats and their female offspring were culled, and blood and hypothalamus samples were collected. Blood samples were analyzed using ELISA for leptin, and the expression of leptin receptor (Obr), proopiomelanocortin (POMC), and neuropeptide Y (NPY) was analyzed using western blotting. Results: The plasma leptin levels in the DTX2 and offspring from treatment 2 (OTX2) groups were significantly lower than those in the DNG and offspring from the negative (ONG) groups (p< 0.05). Western blot results indicate Obr, POMC and NPY protein demonstrated significantly (p<0.05) higher expression in DNG and ONG compared to the other groups and lower expression in the DTX2 and OTX2 groups. Conclusion: In conclusion, the E.tapos shell significantly reduced maternal obesity in female offspring at PND21 compared to its seed.

Keywords: Elateriospermum tapos, maternal obesity, hypothalamus, leptin, obesity