Dietary d ‐Psicose Reduced Visceral Fat Mass in High‐Fat Diet‐Induced Obese Rats

Abstract:  d ‐Psicose, a C‐3 epimer of d ‐fructose, has shown promise in reducing body fat accumulation in normal rats and plasma glucose level in genetic diabetic mice. Effects of d ‐psicose on diet‐induced obesity are not clearly elucidated, and we investigated food intake, body weight, and fat accumulation in rats fed high‐fat (HF) diet. Sprague–Dawley rats became obese by feeding HF diet for 4 wk, and were assigned either to normal or HF diet supplemented with or without d ‐psicose, sucrose, or erythritol for 8 wk. Changing HF to normal diet gained less body weight and adipose tissue due to different energy intake. d ‐psicose‐fed rats exhibited lower weight gain, food efficiency ratio, and fat accumulation than erythritol‐ and sucrose‐fed rats. This effect was more prominent in d ‐psicose‐fed rats with normal diet than with HF diet, suggesting combination of psicose and calorie restriction further reduced obesity. There was no difference in serum cholesterol/high‐density lipoprotein (HDL)‐C and low‐density lipoprotein (LDL)‐C/HDL‐C ratios between d ‐psicose group and other groups. Liver weight in 5% psicose group with normal diet was higher than in other groups, but histopathological examination did not reveal any psicose‐related change. d ‐Psicose inhibited the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) to adipose tissue in a concentration‐dependent manner. These results demonstrate that d ‐psicose produces a marked decrease, greater than erythritol, in weight gain and visceral fat in an established obesity model by inhibiting MSC differentiation to adipocyte. Thus, d ‐psicose can be useful in preventing and reducing obesity as a sugar substitute and food ingredient. Practical Application:  We can develop d ‐psicose as a sugar substitute and food ingredient since it can prevent obesity in normal people, but also suppress adiposity as a sugar substitute or food ingredients with antiobesity effect in obese people. d ‐psicose can be unique functional sweetener because of its function of reducing visceral fat mass and weight gain.