الفهرس 
ObesityOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have a negative effect on health. The prevalence of obesity is drastically rising globally and it is now considered a critical public health issue. Obesity puts people at an increased risk of several diseases including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal disorders, hypertension, kidney ailments, lowback pain, joint, malignant, metabolic diseases, sleep apnea and cancers (prostate, colorectal, endometrial, and breast). The patients with overweight and obesity who have COVID-19 are at increased risk for mortality and intubation compared to those with normal BMI.
Citron melon (Citrullus Sp.) is belongs to family Cucurbitaceae. It is a medicinal plant widely used traditionally in the treatment of some health disorders in world. The present study aimed to reduce obesity in male albino rats fed a high-fat diet using citron melon plant parts.
Materials used in this study and method
Fresh fully-grown citron melons were obtained from a local area in Sadat city then washed with tap water and the outer skin (peel) removed (the thin green outer membrane of the plant) with a clean and sharp knife. The seeds were separated manually from the pulp. The pulp (the juicy part of the citron melon mostly white) was carefully squeeze in the electric mixer then kept in the freezer. The seeds were sieved to remove the foreign and immature seeds and then separated from its coat. The seeds and the peels were sun-dried after which each was ground with a warring blender to fine powder and preserved in a dry clean container for preparing the experimental diet.
Total phenols present in the pulp, seeds and peel of the citron melon were chemically analyzed at the Food Technology Research Institute of the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation.
The study included (50) male albino rats (Sprague- Dawley strain) weighing (140 ± 10g). Rats were fed on normal (basal) diet for 7 consecutive days as adaptation period then divided into the following groups: The first main group (n=5): (group 1): negative (-ve) control group, kept on basal diet along the experiment and weighing (140 ± 10g). The second main group (n=45): obesity induced group, rats were fed on basal diet + high fat diet (HFD) for 21 days to induce obesity and weighing (225 ± 20g). This main group was divided randomly into nine (9) groups (5 rats each) to fed on the experimental diets for (4) weeks according to the following: group (2): positive (+ve) control group (un treated group), group (3): obese rats, fed on a basal diet plus 2.5% citron melon pulp, group (4): obese rats, fed on a basal diet plus 5% citron melon pulp, group (5): obese rats, fed on a basal diet plus 2.5% citron melon seeds, group (6): obese rats, fed on a basal diet plus 5% citron melon seeds, group (7): obese rats, fed on a basal diet plus 2.5% citron melon peels, group (8): obese rats, fed on a basal diet plus 5% citron melon peels, group (9): obese rats, fed on a basal diet plus 2.5% mix of all parts and group (10): obese rats, fed on a basal diet plus 5% mix of all parts.
Each of the above groups was kept in a single cage. At the end of the experiment (28 days), animal were scarified. Blood samples were collected to determine the following parameters: total Cholesterol (TC), triglycride (TG), lipoprotein fractions (HDL-c, LDL-c and VLDL-c), altherogenic index (AI), blood glucose, serum liver enzymes (AST, ALT, ALP) & kidney function (creatinine, urea, uric acid). Liver and kidney were kept on (10%) formalin solution for histopathological examination.
The obtained results could be summarized as following:
The total phenols in the different plant parts
• The total phenols was widely variable among the used plant parts. The highest total phenols content was in direct relation with citron melon peels (431.48 mg/ml) followed by the seeds (263 mg/ml) and was in reversed relation with pulp (59.84 mg/ml).
The effect of experimental diets on BWG, FI and FER
• Due to obesity, rats BWG, FI and FER were increased. The best mean value of (BWG) and (FER) was noticed for group 8 (Obese rats fed on 5% citron melon peels). The better mean value of (FI) was recorded for group 5 (Obese rats fed on 2.5% citron melon seeds).
The effect of experimental diets on internal organs weight
• The obesity raised the internal organs weights, while the reverse indicated on feeding with citron melon peels as 5%.
Effect of experimental diets on serum Lipid profile
• Obesity due to high fat diet caused increase T.C, T.G, LDL-C, VLDL-C, and AI but resulted in the decreased the serum HDL-C. Rats fed on citron melon peels as 5% (group 8) showed the best treatment for lowering T.C, T.G, LDL-C, VLDL-C, and AI. The highest increase in serum HDL-C level was revealed for group 4 (Obese rats fed on 5% citron melon pulp) and recorded the best treatments.
The effect of experimental diets on Peritoneal fat percent (Pfp%)
• Obesity due to high fat diet raised the peritoneal fat percent, but when feeding with different plant parts reduced this percent. The better (Pfp%) was revealed for group 8 (Obese rats fed on 5% citron melon peels) as compared to control (+) group.
The effect of experimental diets on serum glucose
• Due to obesity, rats serum glucose level was raised but when feeding on 2.5, 5% citron melon pulp, 2.5, 5% citron melon seeds, 2.5, 5% citron melon peels, 2.5 and 5% mix of all parts, glucose decreased. The lowest serum glucose was recorded for group 8 (Obese rats fed on 5% citron melon peels) when compared to control (+) group.
The effect of experimental diets on Liver function
• Obesity due to high fat diet raised the activities of serum AST, ALT and ALP. When feeding with pulp, seeds, peels and mix of all parts of citron melon, these levels were reduced. group 3 (Obese rats fed on 2.5% citron melon pulp) recorded the best treatments when compared to control (+) group considering AST and ALT activities. group 8 (Obese rats fed on 5% citron melon peels) recorded the better treatment when compared to control (+) group considering (ALP) activity.
The effect of experimental diets on Kidney function
• Due to obesity by feeding with high fat diet, serum creatinine, urea and uric acid levels were increased when compared to control (-) group. The maximum improvement of these levels were noticed for group 8 (Obese rats fed on 5% citron melon peels) when compared to control (+) group.
Histopathological Results
• By obesity, histopathological structure of liver revealed widening of the central vein, hepatic sinusoids with vacuolar degeneration of micro-vesicular type, necrosis of the hepatic cells, anisokaryosis, hepatocellular micro-vesicular vacuolar degeneration, nuclear pyknosis and activated Kupffer cells.
• Due to obesity, The kidney tissues revealed tubular epithelial degeneration, necrosis, nuclear pyknosis, esinophilic renal cast in the tubular lumens with hypercellularity of the glomerular tuft and presence of cast in the Bowman’s space and homogenous esinophilic renal cast in the tubular lumens with epithelial linings necrosis.
• Feeding of different plant parts especially citron melon peels as 5% ameliorated these changes.