Black Garlic Ameliorates Obesity Induced by a High-fat Diet in Rats

Black garlic (also called aged garlic) is a type of fermented garlic product from fresh garlic that is often used as a food ingredient and a functional food in Asian countries. The aim of this study was to investigate whether black garlic ameliorates obesity induced by a high-fat diet in rats. Male Wistar rats were fed a normal diet or a high-fat diet (HFD) (30% lard, w/w) combined with 0, 0.2, 0.6, or 1.2% black garlic (BG) (w/w) for a period of six weeks. The results demonstrated that body weight, tissue weights of liver, peritoneal fat, and epididymal fat, serum triglycerides, and hepatic lipid profiles (total lipids, triglycerides, and cholesterol) in the HFD+BG groups were significantly decreased compared with those in the HFD group. BG also reduced hepatic oxidative stress (reduced GSSG and enhanced TEAC, GSH, GRd, and GPx) in HFD-induced obese rats. These results suggest that black garlic may be useful for the treatment of obesity.