OUTCOME OF CO-ADMINISTRATION OF SEA BUCKTHORN FRUIT IN HIGH FAT DIET WISTAR RATS
OLIVIA TIMNEA 1, BOGDANA VIRGOLICI 2*, ELVIRA GAGNIUC 3, MARIA MOHORA 2, DANIELA MIRICESCU 2, DANIELA GRADINARU 2, IULIA STANESCU-SPINU 2, MARIA DOBRE 2
1Romano-American University, Bucharest, Romania
2“Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania
3University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Bucharest, Romania
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Obesity is a risk factor for diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cognitive impairment and sarcopenia. Sea Buckthorn fruit may have beneficial effects on muscle mass and memory. This study evaluated the metabolic impact of a high-fat diet on young Wistar rats and the effects of co-administering Sea Buckthorn fruit on skeletal muscle and brain tissues. Rats aged 10 weeks were divided into three groups (n = 6 per group) and for the next 8 weeks were raised on: standard diet (Control group), high- fat diet (HFD group) and high-fat diet with Sea Buckthorn fruit (0.3 g fruit/100g rat weight/day), (HFDSB group). In the HFD group, the gastrocnemius muscle showed decreased phosphorylation of Akt protein (pAkt 5.77%) and the haematoxylin-eosin staining demonstrated brain and muscle pathological changes. Serum tests indicated metabolic imbalances. The co- administration of the Buckthorn fruit to the high fat diet reduced the intervisceral fat, glycaemia (p < 0.05), triglyceridemia (p < 0.05) and resistininemia (p < 0.05). It also increased the insulin sensitivity (pAkt 21.2%, p < 0.05) and the tissue histological appearance for the brain and for the muscle was almost normal. In conclusion, Sea Buckthorn fruit mitigated skeletal muscle and brain damage and enhanced insulin sensitivity in rats on a high-fat diet.
