Purple Sweet Potato Ameliorates High-Fat Diet-Induced Visceral Adiposity by Attenuating Inflammation and Promoting Adipocyte Browning

Abstract

Accumulation of visceral fat has been reported to increase systemic inflammation. Purple sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L., PSP), known for its anthocyanin content, potentiates in mitigating oxidative stress. This study aimed to investigate the underlying mechanisms by which PSP influences body fat deposition. Five-week-old male Sprague–Dawley rats (n = 5) were fed a 43% high-fat diet (HFD) for 2 weeks to induce obesity, followed by 19 weeks of HFD supplemented with 5% PSP. PSP significantly improved body weight and reduced visceral fat mass and adipocyte size. In visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissues, PSP significantly downregulated proteins of FAS, ACC1, and PPARγ with inflammatory markers TNF-α, IL-6, and MCP-1. PSP reduced the proteins of inflammasome components, NLRP3, caspase-1, IL-1β, and HIF-1α. PSP increased the proteins associated with adipose tissue browning, FNDC5, PGC-1α, and UCP-1, particularly in visceral adipose tissue. In conclusion, PSP effectively reduced visceral fat accumulation, attenuated inflammation, and promoted adipocyte browning.