Effects of soy lecithin on anthropometric parameters in Wistar rats

Abstract

Introduction: Soy lecithin has become a most widely used dietary supplement with supposed nutritional benefits and potential to treat obesity.

Objective: Determine the preclinical effect of soy lecithin on body weight, according to anthropometric parameters.

Methods: An experimental preclinical pharmacology study was conducted in the Laboratory of Antibodies and Experimental Biomodels (LABEX-CIM) and the Laboratory of Basic Sciences of the University of Medical Sciences of Santiago de Cuba, in 2019. Soy lecithin was administered for 30 days, at doses considered as maximum and minimum to two experimental groups of Wistar rats, to be compared with a control group that received usual feeding. Anthropometric variables were estimated at baseline and end of administration and the outcome was evaluated. Differences were established between the experimental groups by the Kruskal-Wallis Test of independent samples; the level of significance was considered less than 5 % compared to the control group and each other.

Results: In the experimental group that received the maximum dose, the weight gained decreased considerably and the higher weight gained resulted in the group with minimum dose. The weekly evolution of body weight in the experimental groups showed statistical significance in weight during the first weeks (p = 0.050), fourth (p = 0.040), and fifth (p = 0.010), with less dispersion in the distributions. There were modifications of the final abdominal and thoracic circumference with respect to the control and between the treated groups, but at maximum dose, only the final snout-anus length was significant (p = 0.017).

Conclusions: Soy lecithin, depending on the dose, modifies anthropometric parameters in Wistar rats, probably related to the modulation of physiological and biochemical functions that must be corroborated in future research, using more robust techniques.