Melatonin as an effective pharmacocorrector of alimentary obesity resulting from a long-term excessive intake of palm oil

Introduction: In the modern world, the problem of alimentary obesity is becoming one of the global problems affecting all countries. Desynchronosis of bodily rhythms is another possible cause of development of alimentary obesity and metabolic syndrome. Thus, the purpose of this research was to study the influence of melatonin on the dynamics of body weight in rats.

Materials and Methods: The experiment was carried out on 150 white non-pedigree rats (females and males), which were divided into 3 groups (intact, control, experimental) and 3 series (immature, mature and senile rats). The animals of the control group received refined palm oil at a dose of 30 g/kg for a period of 6 weeks in their daily diet. The rats of the experimental group received melatonin at a dose of 1.9 mg/kg per day intragastrically for 35 days, after the 6-week period of excess palm oil intake was over. During the experiment, once every 7 days, the animals' weight check was done, followed by assessing the dynamics of weight gain in rats in different age groups.

Results and Discussion: It was determined that, in the group of the immature animals, an intake of palm oil resulted in the most obvious significant changes in the body weight over time. An increase in the total cholesterol and triglycerides concentration was observed in the biochemical blood tests of the animals of various age groups.

Conclusion: The use of melatonin at a dose of 1.9 mg/kg per day for 35 days proved highly effective in the animals of all age groups and led to a significant alignment of changes in the biochemical parameters studied in the rats of all ontogenesis periods.