Table 1.

Metabolic parameters from rats fed for 8 weeks without (control) or with 10% (w/v) fructose in the water, in the absence (HFr) or presence (HFr + EC) of 20 mg EC/kg BW. Values are shown as means ± SE (n = 10). Values having different superscripts are significantly different (P < 0.05, one way ANOVA)

Parameter	Groups
Parameter	Control	HFr	HFr + EC
Food intake (g/d)	24.9 ± 1.5^a	19.9 ± 0.8^b	18.1 ± 1.3^b
Water intake (ml/d)	45 ± 2^a	53 ± 4^a,^b	57 ± 4^b
Fructose intake (g/d)	-	5.3 ± 0.7	5.7 ± 0.5
BW (g)	344 ± 36	313 ± 34	325 ± 40
Epididymal fat (mg)/BW	10.5 ± 2.4	9.2 ± 2.7	12.2 ± 3.3
Mesenteric fat (mg)/BW	2.3 ± 0.7	2.3 ± 0.8	2.7 ± 1.0
Liver (mg)/BW	26.5 ± 2.1	26.2 ± 2.1	27.1 ± 2.6
Plasma Chol (mg/dl)	46 ± 2	51 ± 3	46 ± 5
Plasma HDL (mg/dl)	19.5 ± 1.3^a	15.7 ± 1.5^a	24.6 ± 1.4^b
Plasma LDL (mg/dl)	26 ± 2^a	35 ± 3^b	20 ± 3^a
Plasma TG (mg/dl)	46.8 ± 9.1^a	96.8 ± 23.1^b	79.9 ± 26.8^c
Liver TG (mg/g)	71 ± 9^a	90 ± 17^b	80 ± 22^a
Liver Chol (mg/g)	169 ± 21	176 ± 32	167 ± 22
Fasting glucose (mg/dl)	88.2 ± 5.9	84.7 ± 11.7	86.3 ± 5.8
Fed glucose (mg/dl)	124.7 ± 13.8	116.4 ± 4.9	124.0 ± 14.0
Insulin (nmol/l)	1.26 ± 0.09^a	1.96 ± 0.26^b	1.48 ± 0.17^a

(-)-Epicatechin mitigates high fructose-induced insulin resistance.

(-)-Epicatechin mitigates metabolic syndrome phenotypes.

(-)-Epicatechin improves insulin sensitivity through redox-dependent mechanisms.