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Citrate enrichment in a Western diet reduces weight gain via browning of adipose tissues without resolving diet-induced insulin resistance in mice.

Food & function
October 31, 2022
Jessica Ristow Branco et al. (9 authors)
Journal ArticleAnimal Study
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to determine the effects of citrate-enriched High-Fat, High-Sucrose (HFHS) diets on metabolic health, simulating ultra-processed food consumption in Western diets.

Results Summary

Citrate enrichment prevented HFHS-induced lipid deposition in liver and adipose tissues and promoted mitochondrial biogenesis in white adipose tissue. However, it did not prevent insulin resistance and worsened liver inflammation and injury.

Population

Mice

Effective Dosage

67 mg g-1 diet

Duration

Not specified

Interactions

None mentioned

Extracted Claims (6)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
citrate enrichment
decrease
HFHS-induced lipid deposition in the liver and adipose tissues
mice
-
prevented
#1
citrate enrichment
increase
mitochondrial biogenesis in white adipose tissues
mice
-
induced
#2
citrate enrichment
increase
PCG1α
mice
-
upregulated
#3
citrate enrichment
increase
UCP1
mice
-
upregulated
#4
citrate-enhanced diet
no change
HFHS-induced insulin resistance
mice
-
did not prevent
#5
citrate-enhanced diet
increase
further liver inflammation and injury
mice
-
causes
#6
Abstract

Citrate, a major component of processed foods, appears as either preservative or flavor enhancer. With no concentration limit, citrate is consumed in large quantities worldwide, principally in ultra-processed foods (UPF). UPF are encountered in Western diets (rich in saturated fat and sucrose), where consumption is directly associated with many conditions, such as obesity and diabetes, among others. Here, we administered a High-Fat, High-Sucrose (HFHS) diet to mice, enriched or not with citrate (67 mg g-1 diet), aimed to simulate UPF citrate consumption. Our results showed that citrate enrichment prevented the HFHS-induced lipid deposition in the liver and adipose tissues of the animals. Moreover, the treatment induced mitochondrial biogenesis in white adipose tissues, via upregulation of PCG1α. As a result, citrate enhancement upregulated UCP1, suggesting the browning of white adipose tissues. Nevertheless, the citrate-enhanced diet did not prevent HFHS-induced insulin resistance and causes further liver inflammation and injury. Altogether, our results clearly showed that, associated to UPF consumption, the excess of dietary citrate has caused harmful effects being associated to non-obesity related liver inflammatory diseases and insulin resistance.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
AnimalsMiceCitric AcidDiet, High-FatDiet, WesternInsulin ResistanceMice, Inbred C57BLObesitySucroseWeight Gain
Study Links
Quality Scores
Safety30
Efficacy60/10
Quality75/10
Citation Metrics
Total Citations5
Citations/Year1.7
Relative Citation Ratio0.56
NIH Percentile30.2%
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.05
Weight Score1.81
Normalized Score0.51
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Citrate enrichment in a Western diet reduces weight gain via... | Panacea Index