Evaluation of the anti-obesity effect of L. (elderberry) and L. (chasteberry) extracts in high-fat diet-induced obese rats.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of L. and L. plants on obesity . Extracts were prepared from leaves, flowers, fruits and from leaves, flowers, and fruits using 100% water and 70% ethanol. The total phenol and flavonoid contents of the extracts were quantified spectrophotometrically. The findings revealed that the ethanol extracts of and flowers had the highest phenolic content, while the ethanol extracts of flowers and leaves had the highest flavonoid content. Qualification and quantification of the phenolic contents of the extracts were carried out using liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) analyses. The study investigated the effects of various extracts on plasma levels of leptin, insulin, triiodothyronine (T), thyroxine (T), triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and lipase enzyme in obesity-induced rats. The results showed that the ethanol extract of flowers, as well as the ethanol and water extracts of leaves, resulted in body weight reduction in rats with obesity. Additionally, these extracts were found to decrease serum levels of LDL, triglycerides, leptin, lipase, TNF-α, and IL-1β while increasing levels of HDL and adiponectin. The LC-HRMS results demonstrated that all three extracts exhibited relatively high concentrations of luteolin-7-glycoside and kaempferol, in comparison to the other extracts. The ethanol extract of flowers contained 653.04 mg/100 g of luteolin-7-glycoside and 62.63 mg/100 g of kaempferol. The ethanol extract of leaves contained 1,720.26 mg/100 g of luteolin-7-glycoside and 95.85 mg/100 g of kaempferol. The water extract of leaves contained 690.49 mg/100 g of luteolin-7-glycoside and 194.41 mg/100 g of kaempferol. The study suggests that the ethanol extract of flowers and leaves, as well as the water extract of leaves, may have potential benefits in treating obesity. However, further controlled clinical studies are necessary to evaluate the clinical efficacy of in treating obesity and investigate the anti-obesogenic effects of luteolin-7-glycoside and kaempferol separately, both in their pure form and in combination.