Ameliorative effects of Monascus pilosus-fermented black soybean (Glycine max L. Merrill) on high-fat diet-induced obesity

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the antiobesity effects of Monascus pilosus-fermented black soybean (F-BS) in C57BL/6 mice with high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity. F-BS (oral, 0.5 and 1.0 g/kg per body weight, twice per day) ameliorated obesity by reducing body and liver weight increases, and regulating blood glucose and cholesterol levels in C57BL/6 mice fed a control or HFD with oral administration of F-BS for 12 weeks. F-BS suppressed the growth of epididymal, retroperitoneal, and perirenal fat pads by preventing increases in the adipocyte size. Moreover, the levels of blood glucose, total cholesterol, and leptin were significantly lowered by F-BS administration in a dose-dependent manner. These results indicated that F-BS is a beneficial food supplement for preventing obesity, controlling blood glucose, and lowering cholesterol. Future research strategies should address the mechanisms that selectively regulate obesity, including hyperglycemia and hypercholesterolemia.

Keywords: Glycine max L. Merrill; Monascus pilosus; anti-obesity effect; fermented black soybean; high-fat diet-induced obesity; hyperglycemia.

FIG. 1.

Effects of fermented black soybean (F-BS) on change in food (A) and water (B) intake in a high-fat diet (HFD)-induced mice obesity model. Food and water intakes were measured and analyzed each week. Data are shown as mean±SE (each group n=10).

FIG. 2.

Effects of F-BS on changes in body weight (A) and blood glucose (B) in a HFD-induced mouse obesity model. Body weight was measured every week and blood glucose measured at 12 weeks. Blood was collected from inferior vena cava after sacrifice.^abcd Values in the row with different superscript letters are significantly different, P<.05. Data are shown as mean±SEM (each group n=10).

FIG. 3.

Effects of F-BS on organ weight in a HFD-induced mice obesity model. Weight of collected organs was immediately measured after sacrifice.^abc Values in the same row with different superscript letters are significantly different, P<.05. Data are shown as mean±SEM (each group n=10).

FIG. 4.

Effects of F-BS on absolute fat weight (A), histological data (B), and statistics of epididymal adipocyte size (C) in a HFD-induced mice obesity model. Weight of epididymal, retroperitoneal, and perirenal fat was measured as described in Materials and Methods.^abc Values in the same row with different superscript letters are significantly different, P<.05. Scale bar=100 μm. Data are shown as mean±SEM (each group n=10). Color images available online at www.liebertpub.com/jmf

FIG. 5.

Effects of F-BS on changes in blood total cholesterol and leptin levels in HFD-induced mouse obesity model. Blood was collected from the inferior vena cava after sacrifice and (A) blood total cholesterol and (B) leptin levels were measured as described in Materials and Methods. ^abc Values in the row with different superscript letters are significantly different, P<.05. Data are shown as mean±SEM (each group n=10).