Lagenaria siceraria fruit extract ameliorate fat amassment and serum TNF-α in high-fat diet-induced obese rats.

Objective: To investigate the effects of ethanolic extract of Lagenaria siceraria fruit (ELSF) on fat amassment and serum TNF- α in high-fat diet-induced obese rats.

Methods: The high fat diet induced obese rats were orally treated with orlistat (50 mg/kg) and ELSF (100, 200, 300 mg/kg/day) to the respective treatment groups. The body weight, fasting blood glucose level, lipid profile, serum levels of tumor necrosis factor- α (TNF-α) in rats were measured after 30 days of treatment and compared to the obese control animals.

Results: ELSF significantly (P < 0.001) reduced the body weight gain, fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride, total protein and TNF-α.

Conclusions: These encouraging findings suggest that Lagenaria siceraria has excellent pharmacological potential to prevent fat amassment.