Effect of Watermelon Rind Powder on Gut Microbiome and Weight Loss in Obese Rats

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to examine the impact of watermelon rind powder on the blood lipid profile of male albino rats (Sprague-Dawley strain), weighing about 200–250 g) were separated randomly into two main groups as follows: The first main group -ve control = 6 rats) was given a basic diet. The second main group (24 rats) was fed a high-fat diet (10% sheep fat) for one month to induce obesity and hypercholesterolemia. Six rats were separated and fed on a high fat diet only as a control (positive group + ve), then the remaining 18 rats were separated into 3 subgroups (6 rats per group). These subgroups 1, 2, and 3 were fed on a basal diet mixed with watermelon rind powder at 5%, 10%, and 15%, respectively. All rats were killed after 8 weeks of experimentation in order to get their blood. LDL, HDL, VLDL, TG, ALT, AST, TC, and HB were determined. Results: Hypercholesterolemia rats fed on a basal diet mixed with watermelon rind powder showed significantly (P<0.05) decreasing liver function enzymes, VLDL, LDL, TC, TG, and VLDL, with significantly (P<0.05) increasing hemoglobin and HDL levels when contrasted with the control groups. Conclusion: Feeding on a basal diet mixed with watermelon rind powder could be utilized as a suitable therapy for obese cases and may lead to microbial diversity.