Maternal Supplementation with Goji Berry (Lycium barbarum L.) During Lactation Prevents Metabolic Syndrome in Adult Male Rats Overfed Early in Life

BACKGROUND: Challenges during critical developmental periods, such as postnatal overfeeding, can affect an organism's development and increase its susceptibility to metabolic syndrome in adulthood. Nutritional or pharmacological interventions during this stage may mitigate this condition. OBJECTIVE: Given the wide therapeutic properties of Goji berries, we aimed to evaluate whether supplementing the diet of lactating female rats with these could prevent the development of metabolic disorders in adult offspring raised in small litters. METHODS: Pregnant Wistar rats were used to prepare the litters. Two days after birth, male rats were divided into three groups: a normal litter (NL) with nine pups; a small litter (SL) of three pups; and a litter with three pups whose mothers were supplemented daily with 250 mg/kg of Goji berry extract during lactation (SLGB). All animals were monitored for 13 weeks postnatally. RESULTS: Maternal supplementation with Goji berry extract during lactation significantly decreased body weight gain, dyslipidemia, the atherogenic index, and the adiposity index. It also improved insulin resistance and glucose intolerance, presented a possible hypertrophic effect on skeletal muscle, and increased the uncoupling protein 1 (UCP-1) expression in the offspring in adulthood. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal supplementation with Goji berry extract had long-lasting effects and prevented the development of metabolic syndrome in the adult offspring that were overfed early in life.