Mustard Oil Based High Fat Diet is Associated with Decreased Body Weight Gain, Less Adiposity and Improved Glucose and Lipid Homeostasis in Wistar Rats

Mustard oil, traditional edible oil used in India and Bangladesh for centuries, has been associated with lower risk of metabolic disorders. The present study was performed to evaluate the potential antiobesity effect of mustard oil by analyzing the changes in body weight, visceral adipose mass and serum biochemicals in dietary obesity in wistar rats. Wistar rats were fed normal chow diet, lard based high fat diet, mustard oil based high fat diet or lard plus mustard oil based high fat diet for 10 weeks. Body weight and food intake were measured regularly during the experimental period. Total fat in fecal excretions were measured in the 8th week while as core body temperature (an index of thermogenesis) and oral glucose tolerance test were measured in 10th week of the experiment. At the end of experiment various visceral adipose tissues were weighed and serum glucose and lipids measured. Lard based high fat diet animals gained more body weight, had higher glucose and lipid levels compared to NC animals indicating induction of obesity. However, body weight gain and visceral adipose tissue mass of lard plus mustard oil based high fat diet animals were lower than that of lard based high fat diet animals and that of the mustard oil based high fat diet were the lowest. Furthermore, both mustard oil based high fat diet and lard plus mustard oil based high fat diet animals were associated with increased thermogenesis, decreased serum glucose and lipid levels and improved glucose tolerance compared to lard based high fat diet obese animals. These results suggest that mustard oil has potential antiobesity effect by regulating body weight gain, adipose tissue mass and lipid and glucose metabolism.