Abstract

Background: Obesity and its related metabolic syndrome are closely associated with major risk factors for chronic diseases, including dyslipidemia and insulin resistance. We investigated whether a combination of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), capsaicin (Cap), and indigestible dextrin (Dx) could protect mice against obesity and its related metabolic disorders. Methods: We fed male C57BL/6J and genetically obese ob/ob mice various diets for 10 weeks. The normal group was standard chow (SC; 5.3% fat content)-fed C57BL/6J mice. The control group was SC-fed ob/ob mice. The experimental groups were SC-fed ob/ob mice whose diets were supplemented with either 4% (w/w) EPA (EPA group), a combination of 4% (w/w) EPA and 0.01% (w/w) Cap (EPA+Cap group), or 4% (w/w) EPA, 0.01% (w/w) Cap, and Dx (EPA+Cap+Dx group). Results: We discovered that the weight of body and fat tissue, levels of serum glucose, insulin, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase, and the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index were significantly higher in the control group than in the normal group (P < 0.05 for all parameters). However, the weight of body and fat tissue, the serum glucose, total cholesterol, alanine aminotransferase levels, and the HOMA-IR index were lower in the EPA+Cap+Dx group than in the EPA and EPA+Cap groups. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the co-administration of EPA, Cap, and Dx may suppress the progression of obesity-related metabolic dysregulation and subsequent complications.

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