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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Little Rock, Arkansas » Microbiome and Metabolism Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #243036
Title: Blueberry juice and anthocyanins modulate obesity, leptin and beta cell function in mice fed a high fat diet

Author
item Prior, Ronald
item WILKES, SAMUEL - Arkansas Children'S Nutrition Research Center (ACNC)
item ROGERS, THEODORE - Arkansas Children'S Nutrition Research Center (ACNC)
item KHANAL, RAMESH - Arkansas Children'S Nutrition Research Center (ACNC)
item WU, XIANLI - Arkansas Children'S Nutrition Research Center (ACNC)
item HOWARD, LUKE - Arkansas Children'S Nutrition Research Center (ACNC)

Submitted to: Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Conference
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/11/2009
Publication Date: 4/1/2009
Citation: Prior, R.L., Wilkes, S.L., Rogers, T., Khanal, R., Wu, X., Howard, L. 2009. Blueberry juice and anthocyanins modulate obesity, leptin and beta cell function in mice fed a high fat diet [abstract]. FASEB J. 23(1_MeetingAbstracts):350.2.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Anthocyanins (ACNs) are the components responsible for the red and blue colors found in many fruits and berries. Consumption of purified blueberry (BB) anthocyanins but not whole BB in the diet has been shown to prevent the development of obesity in mice fed high-fat diets (JAFC 56:647, 2008). The objective of this study was to determine whether blueberry juice (BBJ) was as effective as purified ACNs in preventing obesity or whether the juice retained some of the factors responsible for the obesigenic effects of whole BB. Male C57BL/6 mice were assigned to 1 of 6 diet treatment groups: 1) a low-fat diet (10% of kcal from fat; LF); 2) a high-fat diet [45% kcal from fat (HF45)]; 3) LF diet plus purified ACNs from BBs (0.2 mg total ACNs/mL) in drinking water; 4) HF45 diet plus BB ACNs in drinking water, 0.2 mg/mL; 5) LF diet plus BBJ in place of drinking water; 6) HF45 diet plus BBJ. Mice were fed for a total of 72 days. In mice fed the HF45 diet, fat mass as determined by MRI and weights of epididymal and retroperitoneal fat were reduced by 26-28% (p<0.01) with consumption of purified ACNs and 8-12% in those consuming BBJ. Serum leptin was increased in mice fed HF45 diet relative to LF control and was decreased to control levels in mice fed blueberry ACNs or BBJ (p<0.003). Pancreatic beta cell function (beta cell Homeostasis Assessment Score) was decreased and serum glucose was increased with HF45 feeding and both returned to normal in mice fed the HF45 diet + BB ACNs in the drinking water but not in mice given BBJ instead of purified ACNs. Purified BB ACNs in the drinking water were more effective in preventing obesity in HF45 fed mice compared to BBJ containing an equivalent quantity of ACNs.