Synergistic Effect of Lactobacillus Mixtures and Lagerstroemia speciosa Leaf Extract in Reducing Obesity in High-Fat Diet-Fed Mice.

Simple Summary: Obesity is caused by an imbalance between food consumption and energy expenditure. It is a chronic, long-term condition that involves excessive fat accumulation, which can damage health. Fat tissue contributes significantly to metabolism and is also closely associated with resistance to the effects of the insulin hormone. Mammals have the ability to store excess energy in fat cells in the form of triglycerides, which are stored as fat droplets. A mixture of Lactobacillus bacteria is a probiotic preparation that has been shown to help people lose weight in previous studies. In the present study, we tested whether a specific Lactobacillus mixture would prevent obesity in animals when used in combination with a specific plant extract. We found that a 1:1 combination of Lagerstroemia leaf extract and the Lactobacillus mixture inhibited the weight gain and expansion of fat tissue in mice that had been made obese by being fed a high-fat diet. In this study, we describe the anti-obesity effects of a novel combination of Lactobacillus mixture (Lactobacillus curvatus HY7601 and Lactobacillus plantarum KY1032) and leaf extract of Lagerstroemia speciosa (L. speciosa) in mice. The administration of the probiotic mixture of HY7601 and KY1032 in combination with the leaf extract of L. speciosa significantly attenuated fat tissue formation and body weight gain in mice fed a high-fat diet. The white adipose fat mass, comprising the inguinal and epididymal fat pads, was most effectively reduced when the probiotic mixture and L. speciosa leaf extract was orally administered to the mice in combination. This combination also reduced the mRNA expression of adipogenic genes (those encoding CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein alpha, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma, and fatty acid-binding protein 4) in inguinal and epididymal white adipose tissue depots and the liver. Finally, the combination of reduced blood glucose concentrations regulated the insulin resistance of high-fat diet-fed obese mice. These findings provide insight into the mechanisms underlying the effect of this combination and suggest that using Lactobacillus mixture (HY7601 and KY1032) is as safe as microbial monotherapy, but more effective at preventing obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]