Cucurbita pepo cv Dayangua supplementation ameliorates high-fat diet-induced obesity in mice, modulates gut microbiota and attenuates inflammation.

Background: Cucurbita pepo cv Dayangua (CPD), a variant of zucchini, has been recognized for its anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and analgesic properties. However, its potential to mitigate obesity has been largely unexplored. The present study delves into CPD's capacity to alleviate obesity and its related metabolic disorders induced by a high-fat diet (HFD) and uncovers the mechanisms at play involving gut microbiota modulation and inflammation regulation.

Results: First, the mouse model of obesity was established: C57BL/6 mice were randomly assigned to two groups: a normal chow diet (NCD) group and a HFD group. After 12 weeks, the weight of mice in the HFD group exceeded 20% of that in the NCD group, which represented a successful establishment of mouse model of obesity. Mice with obesity were then randomly allocated to the HFD group, and HFD with 600 mg kg^-1 CPD (HFD + CPD) group. Following 14 weeks of intervention, CPD supplementation significantly reduced weight gain, as well as lipid accumulation in epididymal white adipose tissue (eWAT) and inguinal white adipose tissue (iWAT), and also inhibited hepatic steatosis and improved dyslipidemia and glucose homeostasis compared to the HFD group. Additionally, CPD reduced the expression of inflammatory markers C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 (CCL-2), F4/80 and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in adipose tissue. A detailed examination of gut microbiota showed that CPD significantly regulated gut microbiota composition, and reversed the high ratio of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes in the state of obesity. The presence of Alloprevotella, Parasutterella and Coriobacteriaceae_UCG_002 at the genus level was notably enhanced by CPD.

Conclusion: The results suggest that CPD may exert beneficial effects on obesity management by modulating the gut microbiota and reducing inflammation. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.