Effect of Lythrum salicaria L. Ethanol Extract on Lipid Metabolism and Anti-Obesity in Rat Fed High Fat Diet

*Agriproduct Processing Experiment Station Gangwon-do Agricultural Research & Experiment Services, Chuncheon 200-822, Korea.**Functional Food & Nutrition Division, Rural Development Administration, Suwon 441-707, Korea.***Department of Biological Environment, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 200-701, Korea.****Department of Herbal Crop Research, NIHHIS, RDA, Eumseong 369-873, Korea.ABSTRACT : This study was carried out to investigate the effect of Lythrum salicaria L. ethanol extract on anti-obesityeffects in rat fed a high fat diet for 8 weeks to induce obese rat model. Male SD rats were divided into normal group, control(high fat diet) group, positive control (Garcinia Cambogia extracts) group, high fat group supplemented with ethanolextracts of Lythrum salicaria L. (EELS). The body weight gain and control (high fat diet) were increased by a high fat diet,but decreased in the EELS. At the end of the experiment, the body weight in high fat diet groups was higher than that of nor-mal diet group, while the body weights of EELS and positive control group were significantly reduced by 16.62%, as com-pared with that of high fat diet group (p < 0.05). The levels of serum triglyceride, total cholesterol in EELS group weresignificantly decreased as compared with high fat diet group (p < 0.05). The liver and mesenteric adipose tissue weights ofcontrol (high fat diet) increase than that for normal group, whereas EELS and positive control group were significantlydecreased (p < 0.05). Levels of triglyceride in liver were significantly lower in EELS group than those in high fat diet group(p < 0.05). These results indicate that Lythrum salicaria L. extract may improve lipid metabolism and reduce fat accumula-tion and body weight. Key Words : Lythrum salicaria L., Anti-Obesity Effect, High-Fat Diet