Effect of Citrus bergamia leaf extract on inflammatory markers on the skeletal muscle tissue of obese animals

• Grant number: 21/00661-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: April 01, 2021
• End date: March 31, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Nutrition - Nutrition Biochemistry
• Principal Investigator: Camila Renata Corrêa
• Grantee: Thiago Luiz Novaga Palacio
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina (FMB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Excessive consumption of diets rich in sugars and fats with low quality can lead to obesity and metabolic syndrome, generating consequent complications in several organs, among them the skeletal muscle. The association of inflammation with such alterations is re-ported. Polyphenols and flavonoids are bioactive compounds present in bergamot (Citrus ber-gamia), the focus of research with anti-inflammatory action. The objective of this work will be to evaluate the effect of the consumption of bergamot leaf extract (Citrus bergamia) on in-flammatory markers in the Soleus and Extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles of animals submitted to diet high in sugar and fat. Male Wistar rats (n=48) will first be randomly divided into two groups with control diet (C, n=24 animals) and diet rich in sugar and fat (HSF, n= 24 animals) for 20 weeks. After this period the animals will be randomized again into 4 groups receiving control diet + Placebo (C+P, n=12 animals), control diet + leaf extract (C + Fo, n=12 animals), diet rich in sugar and fat + Placebo (HSF+P, n=12 animals) and diet rich in sugar and fat + leaf extract (HSF + Fo, n=12 animals) for 10 weeks ad libitum. Groups with HSF diets will receive sucrose in water in a concentration of 25% with an established dietary mod-el. The consumption of the animals will be measured daily to evaluate the caloric intake and the weight measured weekly. The animals will be evaluated for the adiposity index, plasmatic glycids and lipids, and hormones, such as inflammatory markers in the Soleus and EDL mus-cles. The data will be presented by descriptive measures of position and variability and ana-lyzed by specific comparison tests.