Cimicifuga racemosa Extract Ze 450 Counteracts High-Fat Diet-Induced Fat Gain and Metabolic Dysregulation in Female Rats

Physical inactivity and a high-fat diet (HF) contribute to obesity and metabolic disorders, while physical activity and phytochemicals may support metabolic health [ 1 ] [ 2 ]. Ze 450, an ethanolic dry extract of Cimicifuga racemosa (L.) Nutt., has been shown to influence energy metabolism [ 3 ]. This study investigated how Ze 450 (130 mg/kg body weight), physical activity and combinations mitigate HF-induced metabolic alterations over 12 weeks. Thirty female Wistar rats (n=30) were assigned to Standard Diet (SD), High-Fat Diet (HF), HF+Ze 450, HF+physical activity (PA), or HF+Ze 450+PA (n=6/group). Body weight was recorded daily, and visceral fat mass and serum metabolic markers were assessed post-mortem. Rats in the PA groups had nightly access to running wheels ([ Fig. 1 ]). Fig. 1 Visceral fat mass (g) in different dietary and intervention groups. Data are presented as mean±SD (n=6 per group). Statistical analysis was performed using one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s post hoc test. Visceral fat mass was significantly higher in the HF group compared to the SD group (p