Anti-obesity activity of peanut sprout extract

Sprouting of peanut usually promotes de novo biosynthesis of phenolic compounds such as resveratrol. As phenolic compounds have been reported to possess anti-obesity activity, we investigated the effect of peanut sprout extract (PSE) on weight gain induced by high-fat diet (HF) in C57BL/6J mice. Administration of PSE effectively suppressed the body weight gain induced by HF without altering food intake. Furthermore, blood parameters, including levels of TG and total cholesterol, were significantly improved by administration of 0.5 g/kg BW of PSE compared to mice fed HF alone. Although its mechanism of action remains unclear, the anti-obesity activity of PSE appears to be associated with its inhibition of carbohydrate digestion enzymes, as it dose-dependently inhibited the activities of alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase but not pancreatic lipase while PSE did not have any inhibitory effect against lipid accumulation in differentiated 3T3L1 adipocyte. In conclusion, PSE deserves further study as a health functional ingredient for body weight control.