Present study investigated the antiobesity potential of Lagenaria siceraria fruit juice in diet - induced obese animals, owing to its traditional use in treatment of hyperlipidaemia and obesity. Initial four weeks, animals were given high - fat diet to render them obese, which was confirmed by significant increase in body weight, Lee index and increased total cholesterol, total triglycerides and LDL cholesterol levels. Obese rats were administered freeze dried juice (250 and 500 mg/kg body weight) orally for next four weeks, with or without high - fat diet. Sibutramine (10mg/kg) was used as positive control. Food consumption was significantly reduced in treatment groups. At the end of treatment, significant fall in total cholesterol, total triglycerides, LDL cholesterol was recorded besides significant rise in HDL cholesterol. Liver histopathology of treatment group animals also showed normal architecture of hepatocytes unlike negative control animals. Juice also prevented increase in liver weight and elevation of weights of various body fat depots like abdominal, renal and epididymal. 500 mg/kg dose of dried juice was found to be more promising and its action was almost at par or better than positive control. This study suggests that antiobesity activity of Lagenaria siceraria juice might be through pancreatic lipase inhibitory activity and satiety feeling
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