Objective: Obesity has become one of the world's biggest issues. This condition has a great impact on several metabolic and chronic diseases. For example, obesity is often accompanied by hyperuricemia or gout. However, few drugs are available for the treatment of obesity. The present study is to evaluate the antiobesity effect of Lactobacillus plantarum GKM3 in high-fat-diet-induced obese rats and whether taking L plantarum GKM3 can effectively reduce uric acid accumulation caused by obesity and ameliorate other harmful factors. Method: Sixty male Wistar rats were divided into five groups as follows: ( 1 ) ND group, fed normal diet; ( 2 ) HFC group, fed AIN93G-based high-fat diet containing 65% solids, 7% soybean oil, and 25% lard; ( 3 ) HFL group, fed AIN93G-based high-fat diet supplemented with 102.7 mg/kg/d L plantarum GKM3; ( 4 ) HFM group, fed AIN93G-based high-fat diet supplemented with 205.4 mg/kg/d L plantarum GKM3; and ( 5 ) HFH group, fed AIN93G-based high-fat diet supplemented with 513.5 mg/kg/d L plantarum GKM3. After 6 weeks, the body, organ, and fat weights; food intake; blood serum levels; and adipocyte size were measured. Results: Results showed that rats fed on the high-fat diet showed more body weight, increased feed efficiency, higher fat deposition, higher total liver weight, elevated serum lipid levels, and increased adipocyte size compared with those on the normal diet. All these effects were reversed by supplementation of L plantarum GKM3. Conclusions: In conclusion, we suggest that the L plantarum GKM3 supplement may have beneficial antiobesity and uric acid-lowering effects.
Keywords: Lactobacillus plantarum; high-fat diet; lactic acid bacteria; obesity; uric acid.