Studies on nutritional intervention of ginkgo starch-lauric acid complex in obese rats induced by a high-fat diet

Ginkgo starch was frequently used in food, but consuming too much of it could increase postprandial blood sugar and potentially cause obesity. Through molecular docking, we discovered that lauric acid enters the spiral cavity formed by amylose molecules to form a stable compound. The compound exhibited a V-type structure, enhanced relative crystallinity, short-range order, and long-range order, while also experiencing a 20% reduction in in vitro digestibility. The complex may also lessen body weight, serum triglyceride (TG) and total cholesterol (TC) levels in rats, as well as improve hepatic fat accumulation and intestinal flora composition. It's interesting to note that the complex greatly boosted the number of good bacteria in rats, and that these bacteria positively connected with the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAS), superoxide dismutase (SOD), TC, and TG. In conclusion, the high-fat diet-induced obesity is significantly improved by the ginkgo starch-lauric acid combination (GSL).