Tucum‐do‐Cerrado ( <i>Bactris setosa</i> Mart.) Consumption Promoted a Healthier Expansion of Adipose Tissue in High‐Fat Diet‐Induced Obesity Rats

Tucum-do-Cerrado (Bactris setosa Mart.) is a polyphenol-rich Brazilian fruit known to improve glucose metabolism. This study investigated its effects on brown (BAT), inguinal (iWAT), and epididymal (eWAT) adipose tissues in a diet-induced obesity model. Rats received control (CT/TUC-), high-fat (HF/TUC-), control with Tucum-do-Cerrado (CT/TUC+), or high-fat with Tucum-do-Cerrado (HF/TUC+) diets. Tucum-do-Cerrado promoted healthier adipose expansion by stimulating adipogenic/thermogenic-related genes while downregulating lipogenesis. In BAT, HF/TUC+ attenuated adipocyte hypertrophy and decreased the number of unilocular adipocytes. Tucum-do-Cerrado downregulated Fasn mRNA levels and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity, whereas it increased thermogenesis-related Ucp1 mRNA. In the iWAT, HF/TUC+ decreased the adipocyte area and oxidative markers, while increasing the number of multilocular adipocytes and UCP1 protein levels. Tucum-do-Cerrado decreased Acaca, Prkaa2, Il10 mRNA, and GPx activity; conversely, it stimulated the thermogenesis-related genes Ppargc1a and Prdm16. Regarding eWAT, its consumption increased the number of multilocular adipocytes, Prkaa1, Ppargc1a, Ucp1, Prdm16, and Vegfa mRNA levels, carbonyl levels, and GPx activity, while decreasing Acaca and Fasn mRNA levels. Therefore, Tucum-do-Cerrado prevented adipocyte hypertrophy and increased the number of multilocular adipocytes. The beneficial effects of Tucum-do-Cerrado in an obesity model may be attributed to enhanced antioxidant capacity and inflammatory status, highlighting its potential in attenuating adipose tissue dysfunction.