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ARS Home » Plains Area » Fort Collins, Colorado » Center for Agricultural Resources Research » Soil Management and Sugarbeet Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #370540
Research Project: Management Practices for Long Term Productivity of Great Plains Agriculture

Location: Soil Management and Sugarbeet Research

Title: The effect of hop extract supplementation on weight gain, adiposity and intestinal function in ovariectomized mice

Author
item Hamm, Alison - Ali
item Manter, Daniel
item KIRKWOOD, JAY - University Of California
item WOLFE, LISA - Colorado State University
item COX-YORK, KIMBERLY - Colorado State University
item WEIR, TIFFANY - Colorado State University

Submitted to: Nutrients
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/4/2019
Publication Date: 12/7/2019
Citation: Hamm, A.K., Manter, D.K., Kirkwood, J., Wolfe, L., Cox-York, K., Weir, T. 2019. The effect of hop extract supplementation on weight gain, adiposity and intestinal function in ovariectomized mice. Nutrients. 11(12). https://doi.org//10.3390/nu11123004.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11123004

Interpretive Summary: Women going through menopause seek alternative therapies to the standard estrogen hormone treatment for alleviation of symptoms. Prenylflavonoid extracts from the hop plant contain the most potent phytoestrogens known, and also exhibit anti-inflammatory and anti-adiposity effects which may lower risk of diseases associated with menopause. In this study, we orally administered ovariectomized mice hop extract or synthetic estrogen. Hop extract protected against visceral adipose and liver triglyceride accumulation associated with the lack of estrogen, though the mechanism was not apparent through measured gene expression. We hypothesized beneficial effects of hop extract may be mediated through changes in the gut microbiome, but our results did not support this hypothesis. Therefore we conclude that hop extract is a suitable alternative treatment during menopause, though the anti-inflammatory and anti-adiposity mechanisms were not elucidated in this study.

Technical Abstract: Estrogen decline during menopause is associated with altered metabolism, weight gain and increased risk for cardiometabolic diseases. The gut microbiota also plays a role in the development of cardiometabolic dysfunction and is also subject to changes associated with age-related hormone changes. Phytoestrogens are plant-based estrogen mimics that have gained popularity as dietary supplements for treatment or prevention of menopause-related symptoms. These compounds have the potential to both modulate and to be metabolized by the gut microbiota. Hops (Humulus lupulus) contain potent phytoestrogen precursors, which rely on microbial biotransformation in the gut to estrogenic forms. We supplemented ovariectomized (OVX) or sham-operated (SHAM) C57BL/6 mice, with oral estradiol (E2), a flavonoid-rich extract from hops, or a placebo carrier oil to observe effects on adiposity, inflammation, and gut bacteria composition. Hops extract (HE) and E2 protected against increased visceral adiposity and liver triglyceride accumulation in OVX animals. Surprisingly, we found no evidence of OVX having a significant impact on the overall gut bacterial community structure. We did find differences in abundance of Akkermansia muciniphila, which was lower with HE treatment relative to the OVX E2 treatment and to placebo in the SHAM group.