Anti-Obesity and Hypolipidemic Effects of a Proprietary Herb and Fiber Combination (S&S PWH) in Rats Fed High-Fat Diets

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of S&S PWH, a proprietary herb and fiber combination (Bionutrigen Inc., Daejon, Republic of Korea), on body weight and lipid metabolism in rats fed with a high-fat diet. Three groups of male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed different diets for a 6-week period: normal control diet containing 5% (wt/wt) corn oil (NC group), high-fat diet containing 10% (wt/wt) lard plus 5% (wt/wt) corn oil (HF group), and high-fat diet supplemented with powdered 5% (wt/wt) S&S PWH (S&S PWH group). The body weights and relative weights of the epididymal and perirenal white adipose tissue were significantly lower in the S&S PWH group than in the HF group. S&S PWH supplementation significantly lowered plasma total cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations, whereas it elevated the ratio of high density lipoprotein-cholesterol/total-cholesterol and improved the atherogenic index. The accumulation of hepatic lipid droplets and the epididymal white adipocyte size we...