| Summary: | Dietary isoflavones have been gaining increased interest in the field of functional foods due to their ability to ameliorate several postmenopausal symptoms. Using ovariectomized (OVX) rats supplemented with isoflavone-enriched soybean leaves (IESLs), we investigated the effect of dietary isoflavones on menopausal-associated obesity. Oral administration of IESLs significantly reduced OVX-induced weight gain and visceral fat mass. Additionally, IESLs significantly ameliorated OVX-induced hepatic steatosis as reflected by decreased triacylglycerol accumulation in the liver and decreased serum alanine transaminase and aspartate aminotransferase levels. These anti-obesity effects of IESLs were confirmed to be due to enhanced fatty acid oxidation via up-regulation of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor alpha, peroxisomal acyl-coenzyme A oxidase 1, and carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1a mRNA expression. These results demonstrate that IESLs may be an effective functional food-based approach to protect against menopause-associated obesity.
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