EFFECT OF BRS 305 SORGHUM BRAN ON ILEAL MORPHOLOGY AND SATIETY MODULATION IN OBESE C57BL/6 MICE

Whole sorghum has been associated with metabolic benefits, attributed to its high content of dietary fiber and phenolic compounds. However, these compounds are concentrated in the bran (pericarp), and this fraction can act as a functional ingredient, being relevant to investigate its effects on intestinal morphology and appetite regulation. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of BRS 305 sorghum bran consumption on ileal morphology and satiety-related markers in obese mice. Sixteen newly weaned male C57BL/6 mice, aged 21 days, were used. During the induction phase (8 weeks), 16 animals were fed a high-fat diet (HFD). In the intervention phase (8 weeks), the HFD group was subdivided into HFD and HFD+SB (sorghum bran) (n=8/group). SB was incorporated into the HFD diet (HFD+SB) to fully replace the recommended dietary fiber intake for rodents. Food consumption was monitored weekly. At the end of the intervention period, animals were subjected to a 6-hour fast, anesthetized, and euthanized by cardiac puncture. Ileum fragments were collected for histological analyses, while the remaining ileum and brain tissues were stored at −80 °C for molecular biology analyses. In the ileum, villus height and thickness, crypt depth and thickness, goblet cell number and area, as well as the thickness of the longitudinal and circular muscle layers, were evaluated. Additionally, the expression of satiety-related genes in the ileum (GLP-1 and PYY) and brain (MC4R) was analyzed by RT-qPCR. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee on the Use of Animals of the Federal University of Viçosa (CEUA/UFV; No. 29/2024), and all experimental procedures were conducted in accordance with the ethical principles for animal experimentation. Data were tested for normality and compared using an unpaired Student’s t-test (p < 0.05). HFD+SB group showed increased villus height, goblet cell area, and goblet cell number per villus. In addition, the HFD+SB group exhibited higher GLP-1, PYY, and MC4R gene expression, as well as lower food intake, compared to the HFD group. These results may be related to the high concentration of phenolic compounds present in sorghum bran, especially apigeninidin, luteolinidin, and phenolic acids, which may positively modulate ileal morphology and stimulate the secretion of the incretins GLP-1 and PYY. These incretins act by stimulating first-order neurons in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus, culminating in the activation of the MC4R receptor, thereby favoring the reduction in food intake observed in the HFD+SB group. Taken together, these results demonstrate that BRS 305 sorghum bran stimulates satiety pathways associated with the ileum-brain axis in high-fat diet-induced obese mice, reinforcing its potential as a functional food ingredient in obesity management. The authors acknowledge the financial support provided by FAPEMIG, CAPES, and CNPq, as well as EMBRAPA Milho e Sorgo for the raw material.