Fortified dadih increases short-chain fatty acids, reduces leptin levels, and body weight in obese rats

Tsamaroh Azzah Mukarromah (Department of Nutrition Science, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Diponegoro, Semarang, Central Java)
Ninik Rustanti (Department of Nutrition Science, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Diponegoro, Semarang, Central Java)
Endang Mahati (Department of Nutrition Science, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Diponegoro, Semarang, Central Java)
Gemala Anjani (Department of Nutrition Science, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Diponegoro, Semarang, Central Java)
Ahmad Syauqy (Department of Nutrition Science, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Diponegoro, Semarang, Central Java)

JURNAL GIZI INDONESIA
Vol 14, No 2 (2026): June

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