魚腥草(Houttuynia cordata Thunb)為三白草科蕺菜屬植物。魚腥草搓碎有魚腥味，味微澀，乾燥後可去除魚腥味。民間認為魚腥草可以清熱解毒，排膿消腫，利尿通淋。本研究探討魚腥草在經高脂飲食誘發肥胖的小鼠中對代謝之影響。實驗使用15%(w/w)奶油誘發C57B6雄性小鼠肥胖的動物模式，分成五組：(1)正常組（正常飲食飲水）；(2)高劑量魚腥草組(正常飲食、8%魚腥草水煮液) ；(3)高脂飲食組（15%奶油、一般飲水）；(4)高脂飲食低劑量魚腥草組(15%奶油、4%魚腥草水煮液)及(5)高脂飲食高劑量魚腥草組(15%奶油、8%魚腥草水煮液)。經八週後檢測魚腥草水煮液的攝取對於小鼠體重、臟器、血糖、血脂、胰島素、副睪脂重及其心臟氧化壓力和發炎反應是否有改善的情況。結果發現在高脂飲食組中給予高劑量或低劑量的魚腥草水煮液能降低血中胰島素濃度、HOMA-IR、血中TG、TC，老鼠體重，提升心臟GPx活性和GSH濃度，以及下降心臟TNF-α及MCP-1的濃度。研究結果支持對肥胖小鼠給予魚腥草可經由其抗氧化，抗發炎之效果改善因高脂飲食引起之併發症。
Houttuynia cordata Thunb is a medicinal plant used in traditional Chinese medicine. The major aim of present study was to examine the effects of Houttuynia cordata Thunb aqueous extract (HCE) in mice treated by high fat diet. Butter at 15% (w/w) was used to prepare high fat diet. C57B6 male mice were divided into five groups: (1) normal group (normal diet and water); (2) high dose HCE group (normal diet and 8% of HCE); (3) high fat diet group (15% butter and water); (4) high fat diet with low dose HCE group (15% butter and 4% of HCE) and (5) high fat diet with high dose HCE group (15% butter and 8% of HCE). After eight weeks, blood and organs were collected. Results showed that the intake of HCE reduced body weight, Insulin, HOMA-IR, circulating TG and TC levels, retained cardiac GPx activity and GSH concentration, and decreased cardiac TNF-α and MCP-1 concentrations. These findings support that Houttuynia cordata Thunb through its antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects could attenuate the complications caused by high-fat diet.
