JULIE CARILLON¹, DOMINIQUE LACAN¹, JEAN-MAX ROUANET²*
*Corresponding author
1. Bionov, 939 rue de la Croix Verte, 34090 Montpellier, France
2. Université Montpellier Sud de France, UMR 204 NUTRIPASS, Place Eugène Bataillon, 34090 Montpellier, France

Abstract

Obesity-related metabolic syndrome is often associated with an increased oxidative stress and a decrease of insulin sensitivity, inducing several modifications, particularly in adipose tissue. However, dietary antioxidants could prevent oxidative stress and insulin-induced damage. In this context, we evaluated the effects of a 1-month curative supplementation with SODB, a melon SOD, on the liver and adipose tissue of obese hamsters. SODB reduced body weight and obesity markers. These beneficial effects could be due to the increased expression of tissular antioxidant defense proteins. These findings suggest that SODB could exert its antioxidant properties by inducing the endogenous antioxidant defense. The mechanisms underlying this induction need to be further investigated.

INTRODUCTION

The metabolic syndrome is a constellation of dysfunctions including glucose intolerance, central obesity, dyslipidemia, and leptin/adiponectin imbalance (1). Dyslipidemia is caracterized by low levels of plasma HDL cholesterol, high levels of LDL cholesterol and hypertriglyceridemia (2). Moreover, dysregulated production of adipocytokines (leptin and adiponectin) by adipocytes participates in the pathogenesis of obesity-associated metabolic syndrome. Indeed, a decrease in plasma adiponectin is causative for insulin resistance in obesity. Insulin resistance corresponds to a reduction of the gluco-regulating activity of the insulin (3). Insulin resistance could be caused by alterations in insulin receptors and glucose transports (4). Thus, glucose assimilation is decreased and it accumulates in blood circulation, causing hyperglycemia.

The metabolic syndrome can occur in several forms, depending on the combination of these various components, and it is now well established that it increases the risk to develop cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer (5).
The current lifestyle, called modern Western lifestyle (6), in ...