Effect of Gum Arabic (Acacia Senegal) on Glucose Metabolism and Body Weight Gain in Mice

Abstract

Background: A diet rich in fibers has been associated with reduced body weight, prevention of metabolic syndrome and improved glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Gum arabic (GA) is a dietary fiber of mainly polysaccharide composition derived from the dried exudates from Acacia senegal.Methodology: In this study, we investigated the effects of GA on glucose metabolism and body weight gain in wild-type C57Bl/6 mice. GA treatment was delivered as a 10% drinking solution. Results: During GA treatment oral glucose tolerance with 3mg/g bw was significantly improved compared to control mice (AUC 29700±1018 min·mg/dl vs. 27207±892 min·mg/dl) whereas intra-peritoneal glucose tolerance test was unaffected by GA treatment. Also the insulin level was increased during oral and inter-peritoneal glucose tolerance test. Under prolonged treatment with a 20% glucose solution after 4 weeks, glucose-treated mice gained significantly more body weight (+6.31±0.75 g) compared to glucose and GA-treated mice (+0.74±0.25 g) despite similar food and fluid intake.  Fasting blood glucose concentrations were increased significantly following challenge with a 20% glucose solution (172±63 mg/dl) which was blunted by simultaneous treatment with GA (120±88 mg/dl).To test, whether GA is similarly effective in high fat diet, the body weight was monitored in animals receiving a high fat diet with or without GA. The total body weight gain was significantly decreased in  GA treated  (+10.97±0.76 g)  as compared to non treated mice  (+13.98±0.98 g), despite similar fluid and  food intake. The fasting blood glucose was also  blunted by simultaneous treatment with GA (94±6 mg/dl) as compared with other group (140±9 mg/dl) followed by a significant decrease in fasting insulin concentrations in GA treatment mice (0.57±0.05 mg/dl) as compared to non treated  (0.83±0.08 mg/dl) .

Conclusion: GA was found to have affected the consequence of body weight gain during glucose and high fat diet and prevented glucose-induced obesity.

Keywords:

Gum arabic, Glucose, Body weight, High fat diet