Abstract
Obesity is a major health concern associated with serious conditions such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. This study investigated the potential anti-obesity effects of heat-treated parsley and mallow extracts (PE and ME, respectively) in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed rats. The selected herbs underwent three heat treatments (boiling, blanching, and microwaving), and the most effective treatment was orally administered to the HFD rats for eight weeks. All three treatments effectively increased the total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant capacity of the herbs, with boiling treatment exhibiting the most significant increase. Boiled herbs demonstrated approximately 29% higher TPC and an impressive 348% increase in antioxidant activity compared to the other treatments. Oral administration of the boiled herb extracts to the HFD rats resulted in significant reductions in body weight, total cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL cholesterol levels, while elevating the HDL cholesterol levels compared to the positive control rats. Additionally, the boiled herb extracts exhibited antioxidant, hepatoprotective, and nephroprotective effects. Notably, PE displayed more significant anti-obesity properties compared to ME, potentially due to higher TPC and antioxidant activity observed in PE compared to ME. In conclusion, this study highlights the potential positive effects of boiled parsley against obesity and recommends boiling treatment as the preferred method when heat treatment is required for herbs.