Evaluation of the biological activity of wounding stress-treated carrots on the development of obesity and associated metabolic disorders

Abstract

Adipose tissue is a complex multicellular organ that serves as both an energy reservoir and an endocrine organ responsible for maintaining energy homeostasis through a set of integrated endocrine and metabolic responses. By storing and mobilizing energy as needed, adipose tissue supports metabolic balance. Similarly, the gut microbiota—a complex intestinal microbial ecosystem—plays a critical role in metabolic health, impacting obesity through lipid metabolism, energy extraction, and inflammation modulation. Postharvest wounding stress, a type of abiotic stress induced by cutting followed by a storage period, has been shown to significantly increase the total phenolic content in carrots, particularly chlorogenic acid (CHA). Given the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-obesogenic effects of this dietary phytochemical, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of consuming carrots treated with wounding stress on diet-induced obesity (DIO) and associated metabolic disorders in rats. Male Wistar rats were fed a standard (SD) or hypercaloric diet (HD) supplemented with wounding stress-treated carrots (wsC) or nonstressed carrots (nsC) for 8 weeks. In HD-fed rats, daily consumption of 5 g of wsC (HDwsC) led to a significant decrease in body weight gain (18%) and total white adipose tissue (WAT) accumulation (9.7%) without changes in food or energy intake compared to the HD group. HD-wsC supplementation also improved fat mass distribution, with a significant increase in subcutaneous WAT (20%) and a decrease in visceral WAT (17.3%). These shifts in adipose tissue were consistent with improvements in lipid profiles, as the HD-wsC group showed increased HDL-c levels (40%) and reduced triglycerides (39%), total cholesterol (35%), LDL-c (8.3%), and VLDL-c (38.6%). Additionally, HD-wsC improved glucose metabolism, enhancing oral glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity, as reflected in lowered AUC values (4.3% and 5.2%, respectively, vs. HD group). Microbiota analysis further revealed that HD-wsC partially alleviated gut dysbiosis, preserving microbial diversity, increasing beneficial bacteria like Butyricoccaceae, and reducing pathogenic bacteria such as Rickettsiaceae. These findings suggest that wounding stress treated-carrots may offer an effective dietary intervention for obesity management, acting through modulation of adipose tissue function, lipid profiles, and gut microbiota composition.