Abstract
Objective: Ramulus mori (RM) has been known to be effective for the treatment of obesity. To show the effectiveness of RM in a more scientific way, RM extract was prepared and evaluated in high fat diet rats by measuring the changes of body weight and lipid metabolism as described briefly below. Methods: 200 g of crushed RM was extracted withmethyl alcohol. The extract was evaporated under reduced pressure to give 33.4 g. For 10 weeks, control group rats were fed a high fat diet, while the test group rats were fed with the same diet plus RM extract. The normal group was fed with a normal diet. 150 mg of RM extract per 1 kg of body weight was added to the diet in the test group rats. Results: The control group rats on the high fat diet gained weight significantly, whereas the test group rats on the high fat diet plus RM extract gamed less weight. The significant increase of liver weight caused by the high fat diet was also inhibited by the RM extract treatment. Total lipid, triglyceride and total cholesterol levels of serum in the high fat diet rats were remarkably increased, whereastheir levels on the high fat diet plus RM extract were less increased. While serum HDL-cholesterol levels were remarkably decreased in the high fat diet, its level was less decreased in the high fat diet plus RM extract. Furthermore, we observed that the activities of hepatic acetyl-CoA carboxylase and fatty acid synthetase increased under the high fat diet, while their activities under the high fat diet plus RM extract were getting back nearly to the normal levels of the normal diet rats. Conclusions: These result show that the obesity caused by a high fat diet was effectively inhibited by an RM extract. Our results also showed that the abnormal lipid metabolism caused by a high fat diet was effectively cured by adding RM extract.