Effects of the traditional medicine, Dai-Ken-Chu-To on obesity and glucose intolerance induced by long-term feeding on a high-fat diet in mice

The traditional medicine Dai-Ken-Chu-To (DK) is used to treat gastrointestinal diseases. The drug may have an anti-obesity effect through its gastrointestinal activities. In this study, we examined the effects of DK on obesity and glucose intolerance induced by long-term feeding on a HF diet. Male C57BL/6N mice (5 weeks old) consumed a HF diet, a HF diet plus 1% or 3% DK extract, or a HF diet plus 0.5 or 1% zanthoxylum fruit extract for 20 weeks. The DK extract (500 or 1000 mg/kg) and the lipase inhibitor orlistat (50 mg/kg) reduced elevated levels of triacylglycerol (TG) in plasma in the oral lipid tolerance test. The HF diet plus 3% DK extract inhibited the increase in body weight at weeks 8, 9, 11 and 12, compared with the HF diet alone. The DK extract (1% and 3%), and the zanthoxylum fruit extract (1%) lowered the elevated plasma glucose levels in mice fed the HF diet. DK extract or zanthoxylum fruit extract might be useful for preventing obesity and/or glucose intolerance induced by a HF diet.