It is known that the
metabolic syndrome has a multi-factorial basis involving both genetic and environmental risk factors. In this study, Tsumura Suzuki Obese Diabetes (TSOD) mice, a mouse model of multi-factorial, hereditary, obese type II diabetes, were given a Western diet (WTD) as an environmental factor to prepare a disease model (TSOD-WTD) and to investigate the preventive effects of Pine bark extract (
Flavangenol) against
obesity and various features of
metabolic disease appearing in this animal model. In contrast to control Tsumura Suzuki Non-
obesity (TSNO) mice, TSOD mice were obese and suffered from other metabolic complications. WTD-fed TSOD mice developed additional features such as
hyperinsulinemia, abnormal
glucose/lipid metabolism and
fatty liver. The treatment with
Flavangenol had a suppressive effect on increase in
body weight and accumulation of visceral and subcutaneous fat, and also showed preventive effects on symptoms related to
insulin resistance, abnormal
glucose/lipid metabolism and
hypertension.
Flavangenol also increased the plasma concentration of
adiponectin and decreased the plasma concentration of TNF-α. We next investigated the effect of
Flavangenol on absorption of meal-derived
lipids.
Flavangenol suppressed absorption of neutral fat in an
olive-oil-loading test (in vivo) and showed an inhibitory effect on pancreatic
lipase (in vitro). The above results suggest that
Flavangenol has a preventive effect on severe
metabolic disease due to multiple causes that involve both genetic and environmental risk factors. The mechanism of action might involve a partial suppressive effect of meal-derived
lipids on absorption.