Sporoderm-broken spore powder of Ganoderma lucidum ameliorate obesity and inflammation process in high-fat diet-induced obese mice

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the anti-obesity and anti-inflammatory effects of sporoderm-broken spore powder of Ganoderma lucidum (SSPL) against obese mice fed with a high-fat diet. METHODS: Four groups of C57BL/6J mice were randomly assigned to the following diets: control diet (CD); high-fat diet (HD); high-fat diet plus l-carnitine (HDL); and high-fat diet with sporoderm-broken spore powder of Ganoderma lucidum (HDG). They were subjected to 12 weeks of testing. RESULTS: Supplementation with SSPL lowered weight gain caused by a high-fat diet and improved serum and liver lipid levels, and histological investigation indicated that the HDG group had a significant reduction in liver lipid deposits and adipocyte size in epididymal fat. SSPL administration decreased the expression of genes associated with inflammation and fat anabolism, including tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptorγ (PPARγ), sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1c (SREBP-1c), fatty acid synthase (FAS), acetyl-coenzyme A (CoA) carboxylase (ACC), and leptin. SSPL therapy raised the levels of PPARα, carnitine palmitoyl-transferase 1 (CPT-1), acyl-CoA oxidase1 (ACOX1), and adiponectin. CONCLUSION: In summary, SSPL protected mice against developing obesity caused by increased fat intake by regulating inflammatory factors and lipid metabolism. Our findings indicate that SSPL is a potentially beneficial healthy meal for treating obesity.