Indian gooseberry extract and leptin resistance in high-fat-fed rats
What it found
In rats fed a high-fat diet, Indian gooseberry water extract and gallic acid lowered markers of leptin resistance, oxidative stress and inflammation in liver, kidney and fat tissue.
The work was done in animals, not people.
What they found
Animal and lab studies
Methylglyoxal and AGEs
Rats on the high-fat diet had higher methylglyoxal and advanced glycation end products in liver, kidney and perinephric fat than control rats. High-dose Indian gooseberry extract, gallic acid and alagebrium chloride reduced these levels in some tissues.
Leptin resistance
High-fat feeding raised leptin in serum and peripheral tissues, a sign of leptin resistance. High-dose Indian gooseberry extract, alagebrium chloride and gallic acid lowered leptin in serum and liver, but the drop in kidney and perinephric fat was not statistically significant.
Adiponectin changes
Liver adiponectin fell in high-fat-fed rats. Low- and high-dose Indian gooseberry extract raised adiponectin in liver and perinephric fat, while serum and kidney adiponectin did not change significantly across groups.
Oxidative stress markers
High-fat feeding raised MDA and lowered antioxidant enzymes (catalase, GPx) in liver and kidney. High-dose Indian gooseberry extract and alagebrium chloride reduced MDA and boosted SOD and GPx in liver; extract, alagebrium chloride and gallic acid also improved antioxidant enzymes in kidney and perinephric fat.
Inflammatory cytokines
Inflammatory cytokines IL-6, IL-1β and TNF-α were higher in liver, kidney and perinephric fat of high-fat-fed rats than controls. Indian gooseberry extract, alagebrium chloride and gallic acid reduced these cytokines in liver and kidney, and extract also lowered IL-6 and IL-1β in perinephric fat.
Glo-1 enzyme activity
The high-fat diet lowered glyoxalase-1 activity in peripheral tissues. High-dose Indian gooseberry extract, alagebrium chloride and gallic acid raised its activity in liver and perinephric fat.
What the authors conclude
- They conclude that methylglyoxal may trigger leptin resistance, oxidative stress and inflammation in peripheral tissues, and that Indian gooseberry extract and gallic acid can reverse these effects by raising glyoxalase-1 activity and adiponectin and antioxidant enzymes.
- They say the results show the potential of Phyllanthus emblica for functional food development and for improving obesity-associated metabolic disorders.
How it was done
The authors wanted to know whether methylglyoxal, a compound that builds up in obesity, helps cause leptin resistance, oxidative stress and inflammation in tissues outside the brain. They also wanted to test whether Indian gooseberry extract and its compound gallic acid could block these effects.
Thirty male Sprague-Dawley rats were split into six groups of five. Five groups ate a high-fat diet for 112 days and received daily oral doses of low-dose Indian gooseberry extract (250 mg/kg), high-dose extract (500 mg/kg), gallic acid (100 mg/kg), alagebrium chloride (1 mg/kg), or nothing; one group ate normal chow. Researchers then measured methylglyoxal, advanced glycation end products, leptin, adiponectin, antioxidant enzymes and inflammatory cytokines in serum, liver, kidney and perinephric fat.
What it can’t tell you
- This was a study in rats, so it cannot show what happens in people.
- The number of rats in each group was small, and the long-term effects of taking Indian gooseberry extract in humans were not tested.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- Conflicts of interest: There are no conflicts to declare.
- Authors work at
- National Chung Hsing University, Taiwan
The paper
- Title
- Effect of Indian gooseberry extract on improving methylglyoxal-associated leptin resistance in peripheral tissues of high-fat diet-fed rats
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Animals and lab studies
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Chen SY, Huang YN, Lin JA, Yen GC (2024). Effect of Indian gooseberry extract on improving methylglyoxal-associated leptin resistance in peripheral tissues of high-fat diet-fed rats. Journal of food and drug analysis. doi:10.38212/2224-6614.3494Free full textPubMed 38526590DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error