Time-of-day dependent effect of proanthocyanidins on adipose tissue metabolism in rats with diet-induced obesity

Background Grape-seed proanthocyanidin extract (GSPE) improve white adipose tissue (WAT) expansion during diet-induced obesity. However, because adipose metabolism is synchronized by circadian rhythms, it is plausible to speculate that the bioactivity of dietary proanthocyanidins could be influenced by the time-of-day in which they are consumed. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to determine the interaction between zeitgeber time (ZT) and GSPE consumption on the functionality of WAT in rats with diet-induced obesity. Methods Male Wistar rats were fed a cafeteria diet for 9 weeks. After 5 weeks, the animals were supplemented with 25 mg GSPE/kg for 4 weeks at the beginning of the light/rest phase (ZT0) or of the dark/active phase (ZT12). Body fat content was determined by nuclear magnetic resonance and histological analyses were performed in the epididymal (EWAT) and inguinal (IWAT) fat depots to determine adipocyte size and number. In addition, the expression of genes related to adipose metabolism and circadian clock function were analyzed by qPCR. Results GSPE consumption at ZT0 was associated with a potential antidiabetic effect without affecting adiposity and energy intake and downregulating the gene expression of inflammatory markers in EWAT. In contrast, GSPE consumption at ZT12 improved adipose tissue expansion decreasing adipocyte size in IWAT. In accordance with this adipogenic activity, the expression of genes involved in fatty acid metabolism were downregulated at ZT12 in IWAT. In turn, GSPE consumption at ZT12, but not at ZT0, repressed the expression of the clock gene Cry1 in IWAT. Conclusions The interaction between ZT and GSPE consumption influenced the metabolic response of WAT in a tissue-specific manner. Understanding the impact of circadian clock on adipose metabolism and how this is regulated by polyphenols will provide new insights for the management of obesity.