The Effects of a Novel Fiber-rich Complex on Metabolic Biomarkers in Male Sprague-Dawley Rats

Background: Despite research aimed at understanding the mechanisms of metabolic syndrome (MetS), this prevalence continues to rise. Recent literature indicates that dietary fiber may offer prevention and management of MetS in various studies involving human and animal subjects. Objective: This six-week study aimed to test the efficacy of a novel fiber-rich complex in young male Sprague-Dawley rats by examining the effects on high-fat diet-induced weight gain, adiposity, high blood sugar, lipid imbalance, and oxidative stress. Methods: 24 six-week-old male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly assigned into three diet groups (regular chow, high-fat, or high-fat + fiber) and fed for six weeks. Blood from the animals was collected at weeks 0, 3, and 6 for fasting blood glucose (FBG) analysis and at weeks 0 and 6 for lipid profile assessment. Body mass was weighed weekly. Organ mass, nasoanal, and tail length were measured at week 6. Findings were considered significant at p-value < 0.05. Data collected at week 6 were analyzed by one-way ANOVA, whereas data collected at multiple time points were analyzed by two-way ANOVA with diet and time as factors. Student-Newman-Keuls posthoc analyses were used to compare differences between and within groups. Results: No significant differences were found in the size of rats fed each diet as measured by tail length (p = 0.599) or nasoanal length (p = 0.875). Abdominal circumference was not significantly different (p = 0.477). There were no significant differences between groups in fasting whole blood HDL cholesterol (p = 0.297), fasting whole blood HDL triglycerides (p = 0.624), plasma total triglycerides (p = 0.137), or beta-hydroxybutyrate (p=0.185) after six weeks of each dietary treatment. Similarly, plasma true triglycerides and free glycerol were not significantly different between groups (p = 0.148 and 0.529, respectively). Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) were also not significantly different between groups (p = 0.412). Conclusion: The addition of the novel fiber-rich complex did not significantly affect high-fat diet-induced weight gain, adiposity, high blood sugar, lipid imbalance, or oxidative stress in this experimental design.