Effects of high-fat diet associated with symbiotic beverages with bioactive compounds on murinometric parameters and glycemia in an animal model.

Excessive dietary fat intake is associated with increased body weight and the development of metabolic disorders. In this context, the consumption of functional foods has emerged as a promising strategy to mitigate the adverse effects of high-fat diets. Bioactive compounds such as anthocyanins and curcumin, recognized for their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, have attracted interest due to their potential to modulate metabolic parameters. Furthermore, synbiotic beverages that combine probiotics, prebiotics, and antioxidants can contribute to maintaining body weight and metabolic homeostasis. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of ingesting two synbiotic beverages supplemented with anthocyanins and curcumin on weight gain, food intake, and blood glucose levels in an animal model subjected to a high-fat diet. The animal experiment was conducted over 12 experimental weeks. Thirty-three male C57BL/6J mice were distributed into three groups (n = 11/group): negative control (AIN-93M diet + water gavage), positive control (HFD 60% fat + water gavage), and treatment (HFD 60% fat + gavage of the curcumin-incorporated synbiotic drink). Weight and food consumption were monitored weekly. Naso-anal length, abdominal perimeter, and blood glucose were assessed at weeks 1, 6, and 12. Diet consumption was higher at the end of the experiment in the negative control group, while the positive control, anthocyanin, and curcumin groups showed lower food intake. The high-fat diet (60% fat) may have promoted greater satiety, reducing consumption, an effect possibly potentiated by the ingestion of the experimental drinks. Initial and final weights differed significantly in all groups, attributed to food consumption. Although no differences in initial weight were observed, final weight was higher in the positive control and anthocyanin groups compared to the negative control, and in the curcumin group compared to the positive control. Naso-anal length increased significantly in all groups, reflecting the animals' natural growth, with initial values ​​being higher in the anthocyanin and curcumin groups. Abdominal perimeter increased in all groups, with higher values ​​in the positive control compared to the negative control, associated with the high-fat diet. Final blood glucose levels were higher than initial in the curcumin group and also higher than in the positive control, possibly due to gavage administration. Therefore, the results indicate that the high-fat diet influenced weight gain and increased abdominal perimeter in the animals, even with reduced feed intake.