Abstract: This study explored the regulatory effect of 1-deoxynojirimycin (DNJ) on lipid metabolism in obese mechanism rats as well as the underlying mechanism of action to provide valuable information for the development of DNJ-based antilipemic and antidiabetic agents. An obese mouse model was created by feeding mice on a high-fat diet, and then all mice were fed on a normal diet for 40 days. During this period, the animals in the experimental groups were gavaged with DNJ at different doses (8.0, 4.0 and 2.0 mg/ (kg·d)). At the end, serum biochemical indicators, serum adipocytokines, and the enzyme activities involved in the synthesis and oxidation of fatty acids were determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. Compared with the negative control group, DNJ at 8.0 mg/(kg·d) reduced the body weight of obese female and male mice by 9.06% and 14.07%, decreased liver fat content by 4.13% and 27.82%, intra-abdominal fat to body weight ratio by 9.00% and 34.30%, serum total cholesterol (TC) level by 11.57% and 35.13%, triglyceride level by 46.89% and 30.65%, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) level by 28.86% and 7.00%, free fatty acid (FFA) content by 10.60% and 10.20% and visfatin level by 38.44% and 26.76%, increased adiponectin level by 29.66% and 26.96%, decreased acetyl CoA carboxylasec (ACC) activity in the liver by 17.03% and 15.52% and fatty acid synthetasein (FAS) activity by 23.53% and 21.13%, and elevated carnitine palmitoyl transferase (CPT) activity by 20.38% and 17.20% and acyl-CoA oxidase (ACO) activity by 11.00% and 16.29%, respectively. These results suggested that when combined with less energy intake, DNJ can improve blood lipid levels, reduce fat accumulation and control body weight by inhibiting fatty acid synthesis and accelerating fatty acid oxidation. In addition, DNJ has a better effect on male mice than female ones.

Key words: 1-deoxynojirimycin, blood lipid, adipocytokines, enzyme activity