Investigation on the lipid‐lowering effect and mechanism by combining turmeric with hawthorn in C57BL/6 obese mice

Abstract

AbstractStudy on the hypolipidemic effect of turmeric combined with hawthorn on C57BL/6 obese mice and its possible mechanism.C57 mice were fed with 60% high‐fat diet for 8 weeks to establish an obesity model, and 4 mice were slaughtered to verify whether the modeling was successful. The successful mice were divided into model group (HFD), positive group (high fat feed group [HFD] + simvastatin group [SIM]), turmeric group (HFD + TUR), hawthorn group (HFD + HAW), and para‐medicine group (HFD + para‐drug group [DOU]) for 4 weeks by gavage intervention.Different intervention groups had certain lipid‐lowering effects, and the para‐medicine group showed significant differences (p < 0.05, p < 0.01, p < 0.001) in reducing serum total cholesterol, triglycerides, low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol, glutamic acid transaminase (ALT), glutamic acid transaminase (AST), and increasing high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol. In the para‐medicine group, the protein expression of peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor γ, fatty acid synthase, platelet‐reactive protein receptor 36, and CCAAT/enhancer binding protein α were significantly downregulated, and the protein expression of carnitine palmitoyl transferase1 and peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor α protein expression (p < 0.01, p < 0.001), thus suggesting that turmeric and hawthorn are superior to turmeric and hawthorn alone in enhancing lipid metabolism‐related mechanisms. Combined effects of turmeric and hawthorn improve lipid metabolism in mice, protect the liver, and improve the protein expression of liver‐related genes. This study can lay the theoretical basis for the future association of medicinal food products and the development of related weight loss products.