Evaluation of the acute basic biological effects of herbal formulation to control obesity: a preliminary study

Objectives Obesity is the accumulation of excessive visceral and subcutaneous fat in the body. The herbal formulation can help treat obesity, and our study aims to evaluate the acute basic biological effects of herbal formulation to control obesity. Methods Antiobesity herbal formulation, prepared by the combination of Saussurea lappa root, Betula uti- lis bark, Aconitum heterophyllum root, Bunium periscum seed, and Bauhinia variegate leaf (4:3:1:1:1), was carried out on Wistar male and female rats. Obesity was induced in the rats by feeding the Chow diet, and the effect of herbal formulation on obesity was studied. The effect on obesity was measured by ana- lysing variables like weight, water intake, pellet count, haematological parameters, renal function test, liver function test, and lipid profile test. Results In the study, it was observed that the female rats treated at the highest dose showed a significantly (P < 0.005) higher decrease in weight compared to male rats after 10 days. The food intake, haemoglo- bin, renal, liver function, and lipid profile showed significant improvement after the intake of herbal formulation. Conclusions From the above results, it was inferred that herbal formulation increased the activity of metabolism, which is helpful in weight reduction; moreover, it has some beneficial biological effects.