We performed short-and long-term studies to investigate the effects of barley on carbohydrate metabolism and abdominal fat accumulation in diet-induced obese mice. Thirty-two male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into 4 groups and fed either a high-fat control diet or a high-fat diet containing barley flour corresponding to 5% of total dietary fiber for 12 or 26 weeks. Body composition analysis showed that the mass of retroperitoneal fat in the barley group was significantly lower than that in the control group after 26 weeks of feeding. In addition, adipocytes in abdominal fat tissues in the barley group were significantly smaller compared with those in the control group. Time-dependent changes in blood glucose and areas under the curve of intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test results were also significantly lower in the barley group than in the control group after 26 weeks of feeding. These results suggest that barley flour added to a high-fat diet attenuates the progression of insulin intolerance and obesity.

Key words: Barley, Abdominal fat, Carbohydrate Metabolism, Obese Mice