<![CDATA[ABSTRACTBackground: Obesity, a leading global health concern, contributes to oxidative stress and gut dysbiosis. Functional foods like fortified dadih may offer a novel approach to manage obesity by enhancing gut health and reducing oxidative stress.Objective: To assess the impact of dadih fortified with red dragon fruit and selenium on cecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) and leptin levels in high-fat fructose diet-induced obese rats.Materials and Methods: A true experimental design was conducted using 20 male Sprague Dawley rats (n = 5 per group) randomly assigned to four groups: healthy control (K-), obese control (K+), dadih treatment (1.8 g/200 g BW/day) (P1), and dadih enriched with red dragon fruit and selenium (1.8 g/200 g BW/day; sodium selenite 0.4 ppm) (P2). The intervention lasted for 4 weeks. SCFA concentrations were determined using gas chromatography, while leptin levels were quantified via ELISA. Data were analyzed using One-way ANOVA, Kruskal–Wallis tests, and Pearson correlation to assess treatment effects and inter-variable associations.Results: After HFFD, all groups showed significant weight gain (p < 0.05), with the K+ group having the highest body weight (281.2 ± 2.59 g) and the K- group the lowest (219.2 ± 3.42 g). Weight gain was significantly smaller in the K- group (30 g) than in K+, P1, and P2, which had similar gains (92 g). SCFA and leptin levels significantly differed between groups (p < 0.05), with K+ showing the highest leptin (9.42 ng/ml) and K- the lowest (1.31 ng/ml). Significant negative correlations were observed between total SCFAs and leptin (r = -0.545, p = 0.002) and between SCFAs and body weight (r = -0.909, p = 0.000).Conclusion: Fortified dadih with red dragon fruit and selenium effectively reduced body weight and leptin levels in high-fat fructose diet-induced obese rats. The treatment also enhanced short-chain fatty acid levels, suggesting a beneficial effect on gut health and metabolic markers. These findings indicate the potential of fortified dadih as a functional food in obesity management, though further research in humans is necessary to confirm these results.Keywords: Obesity; dadih; short chain fatty acids; leptin; body weight]]>
