Effect of daidzein-low-calorie diet on body weight, serum levels of glucose, resistin, and high sensitive C-reactive protein in high fat, high calorie diet induced rats

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of restricting calories with or without daidzein on weight, serum levels of glucose, and inflammatory markers in obese rats.

METHODS: This experimental study was carried out in Jundishapur University, Ahvaz, Iran, from September 2010 to January 2011. Obesity was induced in 30 male Wistar rats (140-160, 6-8 weeks age) after 6 weeks by feeding them a high-fat diet. Then, the rats were divided into 3 groups: obese rats treated with low-calorie diet containing 50 mg/kg daidzein (n=10); obese rats treated with low-calorie diet containing dimethyl sulfoxide (n=10); and obese rats that were given ad libitum access to food as the control group (n=10). After 4 weeks, blood samples were collected in order to analyze the levels of glucose, resistin, and high sensitive C-reactive protein (CRP).

RESULTS: Restriction of calories resulted in decreased blood glucose (p=0.002), and decreased levels of high sensitive CRP (p=0.000), but had no significant effect on resistin level. Daidzein administration had no significant effect on body weight, serum glucose, levels of resistin, and high sensitive CRP.

CONCLUSION: Calorie restriction significantly affected body weight, serum glucose, low-grade inflammation biomarkers, and masked the effect of daidzein.