Leptin 유전자 결핍 동물모델에서 단호박분말 투여가 지방대사변화에 미치는 영향

Purpose: Obesity has emerged as a critical global public health concern as it is associated with and increases susceptibility to various diseases. This condition is characterized by the excessive enlargement of adipose tissue, primarily stemming from an inequity between energy intake and expenditure. The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential of sweet pumpkin powder in mitigating obesity and metabolic disorders in leptin-deficient obese (ob/ob) mice and to compare the effects of raw sweet pumpkin powder (HNSP01) and heat-treated sweet pumpkin powder (HNSP02). Methods: Leptin-deficient obese mice were fed a diet containing 10% HNSP01 and another containing 10% HNSP02 for 6 weeks. Results: The supplementation of ob/ob mice with HNSP01 and HNSP02 resulted in decreased body weight gain, reduced adipose tissue weight, and a smaller size of lipid droplets in the adipose tissue and liver. Furthermore, the ob/ob-HNSP01 and ob/ob-HNSP02 supplemented groups exhibited lower levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, fasting blood glucose, and insulin, as well as a reduced atherogenic index in comparison with the control group. Molecular analysis also demonstrated that the intake of HNSP01 and HNSP02 resulted in a diminished activation of factors associated with fatty acid synthesis, including acetyl-CoA carboxylase and fatty acid synthase, while concurrently enhancing factors associated with lipolysis, including adipose triglyceride lipase and hormone-sensitive lipase, in the adipose tissue. Conclusion: Taken together, these findings collectively demonstrate the potential of sweet pumpkin powder as a functional food ingredient with therapeutic properties against obesity and its associated metabolic disorders, such as insulin resistance and dyslipidemia. 본 연구에서는 ob/ob 마우스를 이용한 비만유발 동물모델에서 단호박분말 투여가 체지방 감소에 효과적인지 확인하기 위하여 6주간 식이를 통해 10% 단호박분말을 투여하였다. 그 결과, 단호박분말과 열처리 단호박분말을 섭취한 ob/ob 마우스에서 식이섭취량이 증가하였음에도 불구하고 체중과 지방조직 무게가 감소되었음을 확인하였으며 비만에 의한 인슐린 저항성과 이상지질혈증을 예방할 수 있음을 확인하였다. 체중 감소 효능의 기전을 확인하기 위해 지방합성과 지방분해에 관여하는 인자들의 mRNA와 단백질 발현을 관찰한 결과, 단호박 분말과 열처리 단호박분말을 섭취한 ob/ob 마우스에서 지방합성 인자들의 활성이 감소되었고, 지방분해에 관련하는 효소의 활성이 증가되었음을 확인하였다 (Fig. 6). 따라서 본 연구의 결과를 통해 단호박분말 섭취는 비만이 유도된 ob/ob 마우스에서 지방조직의 지방분해 증가와 지방합성 감소를 통해 체중 감소 효능 및 비만에 의한 대사질환 발생을 예방할 수 있다고 제안한다.