PLANTAGO MAXIMA EXTRACT AS A PREPARATION PREVENTING DEVELOPMENT OF ENDOCRINE DYSFUNCTION IN A MODEL OF DIET-INDUCED OBESITY

The aim of the study was to investigate the combined effect of the extract of Plantago maxima on the basic pathogenesis of alimentary obesity in female Wistar rats. I and II groups of animals were kept on a standard (SD) and high-fat (HFD) diets, respectively, and were a control. Animals of III and IV groups received extract of Plantago maxima as drinking water against the background of SD and HFD respectively. Results of the study showed that the use of extracts of plantain on the background of HFD leads to a significant reduction of a number of morphometric parameters of obesity (body mass index, weight, parametrial and retroperitoneal adipose tissue) with regard to HFD-control values. Despite the lack of significant differences in serum concentration of glucose in HFD and SD groups of rats the use of the investigated extract was accompanied by some reduction in this indicator. This HFD-induced increase in insulin levels in serum is fully leveled by the using of the extract. Studying the level of adipokines found that the most pronounced differences were observed at the concentration of leptin. Thus, in HFD rats had a greater than 2-fold increase in serum leptin concentrations. At the same time the use of extract of P. maxima against the background HFD leveled this increase. Among proinflammatory cytokines most pronounced changes were observed in the case of MCP-1. The concentration of MCP-1 in serum HFD animals characterized by a 7-fold increase compared to SD control. In turn, admission of the extract of P. maxima leads to the normalization of this index. Thus, the results of the study showed that P. maxima collected in the Urals steppe with a sharply continental climate has antiadipogenic action with the using of models of alimentary obesity on Wistar rats.