Pterostilbene Attenuates High Fat Diet-induced Obesity and Hepatic Dysfunction in Rats: A Functional Evaluation Based on Taiwan's Health Food Assessment Criteria.

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIM: Obesity represents a significant global health challenge and is closely linked to the prevalence of metabolic syndromes and liver disorders. In Taiwan, the Ministry of Health and Welfare has instituted specific evaluation protocols for functional foods to mitigate body fat accumulation, underscoring mechanisms beyond caloric restriction. The present study sought to assess the anti-adipogenic and metabolic effects of pterostilbene (PTS) using a rat model of high fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity, in compliance with Taiwan's regulatory standards for health claims about "difficult-to-form body fat". MATERIALS AND METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were fed a HFD for six months to induce obesity. Subsequently, the SD rats were administered PTS orally at dosages of 30 or 50 mg/kg/day for 45 days. This study evaluated various parameters, including body weight, food intake, feed efficiency, body fat percentage, liver weight, and serum biochemical markers. RESULTS: Forty-five day 30 and 50 mg/kg PTS oral treatment significantly reduced body weight gain, food intake, and feed efficiency (all<0.05). Remarkably, over 70% of the rats exhibited reduction in body fat exceeding 0.02%, meeting the established regulatory efficacy standards. Furthermore, notable improvements were observed in the aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), and glucose (GLU) levels (all<0.05). CONCLUSION: PTS is a promising natural compound for the formulation of health foods aimed at enhancing fat metabolism and providing liver protection. The observed effects are consistent with physiological expectations and aligned with the regulatory efficacy criteria established in Taiwan.