Time-restricted feeding during the inactive phase vs. ad libitum feeding: diet-dependent effects on weight and metabolic markers in male Wistar rats
Frontiers in Nutrition, cilt.13, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 13
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.3389/fnut.2026.1968504
- Dergi Adı: Frontiers in Nutrition
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Directory of Open Access Journals
- Anahtar Kelimeler: ad libitum, circadian rhythm, high-fat diet, intermittent fasting, time-restricted feeding
- Bursa Uludağ Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Background/objectives – In recent years, intermittent fasting has become a popular method for preventing and treating obesity and chronic diseases. This study explored the metabolic and inflammatory effects of inactive-phase (Day) time-restricted feeding (TRF) vs. ad libitum feeding (Ad) in rats under high-fat (HF) and standard (S) diet for 8 weeks. Methods – Four groups (TRF + HF, TRF + S, Ad + S, Ad + HF; n = 7 each) were monitored for temporal changes in key biomarkers, including TNF-α, IL-6, LPS, insulin, glucose, and lipid profiles, and body weight. Baseline-adjusted two-way ANCOVA was used to evaluate the main effects of Diet and Feeding pattern and their interaction, with complementary multivariate analyses performed as sensitivity analyses. Results – Body weight was significantly associated with both Diet and Feeding pattern after baseline adjustment, with the greatest observed weight gain in Ad + HF and the smallest in TRF + S. TNF-α showed a significant Diet × Feeding interaction, characterized by marked reductions in both TRF groups and little change in Ad + HF. Lipid metabolism exhibited distinct interactions between diet type and feeding regimens. Total cholesterol levels increased in both ad libitum-fed groups, whereas a reduction was observed in the TRF + S group. Triglyceride responses also showed pronounced treatment effects, with the TRF + HF group demonstrating the greatest decrease over the intervention period. IL-6, LPS, insulin, glucose, and LDL-C did not display significant group × time interactions. Conclusions – Overall, inactive-phase time-restricted feeding was associated with lower weight gain, favorable changes in selected lipid parameters, and a reduction in TNF-α. No significant Diet × Feeding interactions were observed for IL-6 or LPS, indicating that the inflammatory findings were specific to TNF-α rather than reflective of a generalized anti-inflammatory effect. However, because food intake was not quantitatively measured, these differences cannot be attributed to meal timing independently of possible differences in total energy intake.