Table 2.

Effects of obesity, P. balsamifera, and salicortin treatments on systemic parameters at sacrifice.

	DIO	P. balsamifera 125 mg/kg	P. balsamifera 250 mg/kg	DIO	Salicortin 12.5 mg/kg
Glucose (mmol/L)	135 ± 14†	105 ± 8	121 ± 10	121 ± 6†	114 ± 6
Insulin (ng/mL)	3056 ± 1074†	450 ± 238*	832 ± 423 (P = 0.052)	1035 ± 150†	272 ± 62§
Leptin (ng/mL)	211 ± 28†	108 ± 18*	145 ± 9 (P = 0.051)	246 ± 19†	197 ± 13§
Adiponectin (μg/mL)	70 ± 3†	78 ± 10	82 ± 5 (P = 0.054)	97 ± 5	101 ± 6
Leptin/adiponectin ratio	304 ± 37†	138 ± 16*	181 ± 16*	248 ± 12†	196 ± 18§
TG (mmol/L)	99 ± 8	80 ± 10	82 ± 8	118 ± 10	106 ± 14
LDL (mmol/L)	391 ± 31†	355 ± 37	307 ± 42	344 ± 20†	207 ± 22§
HDL (mmol/L)	141 ± 8†	112 ± 17	125 ± 8	157 ± 10†	137 ± 7
Total cholesterol (mmol/L)	180 ± 9†	152 ± 14	151 ± 12	203 ± 11†	151 ± 7§
ALT (U/L)	281 ± 39†	229 ± 47	271 ± 77	341 ± 123†	157 ± 27
AST (U/L)	172 ± 30†	153 ± 22	137 ± 22	163 ± 27†	86 ± 5§
Creatinine (U/L)	184 ± 50	491 ± 160	557 ± 138	276 ± 113	136 ± 30
Alkaline phosphatase (U/L)	115 ± 20	85 ± 15	100 ± 9	106 ± 9	88 ± 17
LDH (U/L)	341 ± 83†	137 ± 16§	193 ± 61	376 ± 156†	154 ± 38

Measurements were obtained after 16 weeks of treatment with either standard diet (Chow), HFD (DIO), and for the last 8 of the 16 weeks with HFD in combination with P. balsamifera at 125 or 250 mg/kg, or with the active salicortin at 12.5 mg/kg. All values are expressed as a percentage of their respective Chow controls (reference set at 100%) and represent the mean ± SEM. The number of animals for each group for the P. balsamifera protocol was: CHOW (n = 12); DIO (n = 8); P. balsamifera 125 (n = 5); P. balsamifera 250 (n = 7); and for the salicortin protocol: CHOW (n = 12); DIO (n = 7); salicortin (n = 9). ^†denotes DIO significantly different as compared to Chow (unpaired Student's t test; P < 0.05). *denotes significantly different as compared to respective DIO (one way ANOVA, Bonferroni post hoc test; P < 0.05). ^§denotes significantly different as compared to respective DIO (unpaired Student's t test; P < 0.05).