Evaluation of the effect of Aloe barbadensis on weight in normal and obese mice

Abstract

Obesity is the most frequent metabolic disorder, for the treatment is fundamental to change the type of food and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Misleading advertising of so-called miraculous products leads to excessive, uncontrolled consumption and without prior evaluation of the effect on weight or their possible toxicity. A preliminary investigation was designed in mice, to verify the effect of the juice of Aloe barbadensis and a commercial product on the weight of normal and o b e s e m i c e i n d u c e d b y m o n o s o d i u m glutamate(MSG),after four weeks of treatment. The group of mice induced to obesity with MSG had a weight change percentage of 160.5 ± 37.5%, while in the group with normal body weight was of 59.4 ± 12.1%, this difference was significant (p<0,001). In the obese mice that received the juice of A. barbadensis, a non-significant weight decrease of 2.8% was achieved when compared with the weight at the beginning of the intervention (p0.05). In obese mice treated with the commercial product,an increase in weight was observed, although in a smaller proportion than the obese ones that received water (3.5% and 4.4%, respectively). The results indicated that Aloe barbadensis juice induced a greater weight loss in obese animals, compared to the commercial product, however, this is not significant in the period considered.