Impact of Colocasia esculenta extract and fractions on high-fat dietinduced changes in body weight, adipose tissue and liver of rats

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to explore on the possible protective effects of the saponins and alkaloid-rich fractions of Colocasia esculenta L. Schott leaves on high-fat diet-induced changes in rats. High-fat diet (HFD)-fed rats were treated orally with 10mg/kg b.wt of saponin-rich fraction [SPF], 10mg/kg bw of alkaloid-rich fraction [ALF] and 400mg/kg bw of Crude aqueous extract of C. esculenta [CEAE] for 28 days. The effects of the treatments on body weight, wet white adipose (WAT) tissue, liver marker enzymes and liver histomorphology were studied. High-fat diet induced body weight gain and increased the serum levels of liver enzymes, cholesterol and triglycerides in rats. Increased body weight changes were observed in HFD-control while the alkaloid and CEAE treatments significantly decreased the weight gain of treated rats. Oral treatment with CEAE and fractions significantly decreased all the biochemical parameters (p<0.05) except cholesterol levels. Microscopical examination of the WAT showed decreased adipocyte sizes upon treatments with CEAE and fractions while the liver histoarchitecture showed a better preservation upon treatments with SPF and CEAE. The outcomes from the present study suggest that C. esculenta leaves significantly reduced fat accumulation in adipose tissues and ameliorated HFD-induced liver damage. The alkaloids and saponins present in the plant product may be the phytoconstituents responsible for the weight attenuating and hepatoprotection activities respectively.