Lipid-Lowering Effects of Hexane Fraction of Ivy Gourd (Coccinia grandis L. Voigt) Root in Mice Fed a High-Fat Diet

Ivy gourd is an edible plant widely grown in the tropics. Its root has long been touted to possess anti-obesity property. In our previous study, the ethanolic extract of ivy gourd root exhibited anti-obesity action by potently inhibiting 3T3-L1 preadipocyte differentiation. Bioactivity-guided fractionation of the same extract also revealed that its active principles are in the hexane fraction. Here, we investigate the anti-obesity effects of the hexane fraction of ivy gourd root extract (IGH) in high-fat diet (HFD) induced obese mice and provide evidence of its underlying molecular mechanisms. C57BL/6J mice were fed HFD in the presence or absence of 2 % (w/w) dietary concentration of IGH for 4 weeks. Biochemical determinants of obesity were then measured in these animals. Consumption of IGH caused a decrease of serum triglycerides (TG) and non-esterified fatty acid concentrations as well as hepatic TG and total cholesterol (TC) levels. An increase in fecal excretion of TG and TC along with a decrease in activity of hepatic lipogenesis-related enzymes including fatty acid synthase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and malic enzyme in the liver was also detected upon the intake of IGH. These results suggest that IGH may have the potential as an anti-hyperlipidemic agent for obesity prevention and/or management.