Assessing the Association Between Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) Extract and Serum Lipid Profile and Leptin Receptor Expression

Abstract

Introduction:Obesity is one of the most serious challenges of our era, with significant health consequences and high economic burden for health systems. Therefore, many countries have developed political agendas to cope with this ever-rising challenge. Along with chemical medications that are developed to manage obesity, researchers have focused on some natural ingredients and herbal extracts which are proved to be effective in reducing weight. The current study aimed to investigate the association between Foeniculum vulgar (fennel) extracts and body weight, lipid profile, and leptin. Methods: 35 adult male BALB/c mice were investigated, in sham, fennel 50 mg/kg, fennel 100 mg/kg, and fennel 200 mg/kg (n=7) groups. Mice were administered fennel extracts for fourteen days, while weighted at the beginning and the end of the intervention. Then, their weight, lipid profile, serum leptin, and expression of leptin protein in the hypothalamus were measured. Results: After providing the intervention, leptin receptor protein expression was increased in all groups, while serum leptin didn’t change significantly. Moreover, a significant decrease was observed in the cholesterol in the dose of 100 mg/kg/day, triglycerides in doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg/day, and LDL in doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg/day. Serum HDL was increased significantly in a dose of 100 mg/kg/day. Conclusion: Fennel extract can decrease the lipid profile by changing the expression of the leptin receptor.