Effects of α-Linolenic Acid-rich Diacylglycerol on Diet-induced Obesity in Mice

In the present study, we have investigated the effects on body fat of α-linolenic acid-rich diacylglycerol (ALA-DAG), which is a combination of the 1,3-DAG structure and n-3 fatty acid. C57BL/6J mice were fed diets of high fat and sucrose (30 wt %, 13 wt %, respectively, HF group) without or with ALA-DAG added to 1,2,4 wt % for 4 weeks. We noted significant gains in body weight and visceral fat in the mice in the HF group as compared to a group fed an ordinary diet containing 5 wt % fat (LF group). Addition of ALA-DAG resulted in a significant restraint of both body weight and visceral fat weight gain. Furthermore, addition of ALA-DAG to 2wt% and 4wt% significantly reduced the plasma leptin level. When high fat and sucrose diet was continued for 20 weeks, leptin and insulin levels significantly increased as compared to the LF group in addition to the body weight and body fat gains. By replacing 3 wt% of the lipid in the high fat and sucrose diet with 3 wt% of ALA-DAG, leptin and insulin concentrations significantly decreased in addition to body weight and visceral fat loss. These results indicate the anti-obesity function of ALA-DAG, and also suggest the effectiveness of using ALA-DAG in the prevention and treatment of life-style related diseases in which obesity is a risk factor.