Abstract:

Nutritional obesity model was induced by feeding Wistar rats with a high-fat diet. The model rats were treated
with different dose of grape seed procyanidins by gavage for 4 weeks. The effect of grape seed procyanidins on obesity,
oxidative stress and inflammation was investigated in these model rats. The results showed that grape seed procyanidins
significantly decreased body weight, perinephrit fat weight and liver weight. Grape seed procyanidins could also decrease
the levels of triglyceride and total cholesterol in serum, but no effect on high-density lipoprotein or low-density lipoprotein
was observed. It also exhibited a decrease of malonaldehyde level in rat serum and an increase in the levels of superoxidase
and catalase, but no effect on glutathione peroxidase was observed. The effect of grape seed procyanidins on the levels of
TNF-α, IL-1, IL-6 and endotoxin was not significant. Grape seed procyanidins could significantly restore the abnormally
high intestinal permeability caused by high-fat diet.

Key words: grape seed procyanidins, obesity, oxidative stress, inflammation factors