Effect of Raspberry Ketone on Normal, Obese and Health-Compromised Obese Mice: A Preliminary Study

Abstract

Raspberry ketone (RK)—an aromatic compound found mostly in red raspberries (Rubus idaeus) is widely used as an over the counter product for weight loss. The present study was conducted to determine adverse effects associated with RK in obese and health-compromised obese mice. Two sets of experiments were conducted on normal obese and health-compromised obese mice treated with RK for a duration of 10 days. Obese conditions were induced by feeding mice a high fat diet for 10 weeks, while the health compromised obese mouse model was developed by a single intraperitoneal injection of a nontoxic dose of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (6 mg/kg) to obese mice. Results showed that RK (165, 330, and 500 mg/kg) under obese as well as health-compromised condition retarded the gain in body weights as compared to the control groups. RK at doses 330 and 500 mg/kg resulted in 67.6 and 50% mortality, respectively in normal obese mice and 70% mortality was observed in health-compromised obese mice treated with RK at 500 mg/kg. At higher doses deaths were observed earlier than those given lower doses of RK. Significant elevations in blood alanine transaminase (ALT) were also observed with RK treatment in obese mice. Blood glucose levels were significantly elevated in all groups of mice treated with RK. This study suggests that higher doses of RK may cause adverse effects in health compromised conditions. Under these conditions, prolonged use of RK, especially in high doses, may pose a health hazard.

Keywords:

• Health compromised conditions
• high fat diet
• mortality
• obese
• Raspberry ketone

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Dr. Jon F. Parcher for editing the manuscript for English language. The authors sincerely thank Ms. Penny Bolton for assistance in maintenance of animals used in this study and biological work.

Conflicts of interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported in part by the United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Specific Cooperative agreement 58-6408-1-603-04 and US Food and Drug Administration 1U01FD004246-04.

Notes on contributors

Tahir Maqbool Mir

Tahir Maqbool Mir designed the study and actively participated in experimental work. He prepared the manuscript and the figures and tables.

Guoyi Ma

Guoyi Ma helped Tahir Maqbool Mir in animal experiments.

Zulfiqar Ali

Zulfiqar Ali helped in manuscript preparation.

Ikhlas A. Khan

Ikhlas A. Khan suggested the project and provided overall supervision.

Mohammad K. Ashfaq

Mohammad K. Ashfaq designed the study and actively participated in experimental work. He also reviewed the manuscript.