Browsing by Author "Tan, Libo"
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Item Antioxidant properties and sensory evaluation of microgreens from commercial and local farms(KeAi Publishing, 2020-03) Tan, Libo; Nuffer, Holly; Feng, Jiannan; Kwan, Shu Hang; Chen, Hsiangting; Tong, Xiao; Kong, Lingyan; University of Alabama TuscaloosaMicrogreens are young and tender vegetables or herbs that provide attractive color, flavor, and nutrition. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the nutritional and sensory qualities of broccoli microgreens grown by different methods (hydroponically vs. soil grown) and from different sources (commercial vs. local farm). No significant difference in total phenolic concentration and antioxidant capacity was found in all broccoli microgreens, but a significantly higher chlorophyll concentration was found in farm microgreens than the commercial ones. Moreover, the soil-grown farm microgreens possessed a significantly higher vitamin C concentration than hydroponically-grown farm sample and commercial sample. Participants in the sensory study favored farm samples regardless of growing method, and their overall liking was significantly correlated with taste of the microgreens. In addition, six other microgreens from the local farm were analyzed for their nutritional quality. These conclusions suggested a potential for consumers to still benefit nutritionally by purchasing commercial microgreens at a lower cost; however, it may be worthwhile for consumers to purchase microgreens from local farms for a better sensory experience. (C) 2020 "Society information". Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V.Item Association between Dietary Lutein/Zeaxanthin Intake and Metabolic Syndrome among US Females: An Analysis of National Health and Examination Surveys 2015-2018(Oxford University Press, 2021) Zhang, Yanqi; Knol, Linda L.; Tan, Libo; University of Alabama TuscaloosaThe prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) is greater among US females than males, mainly due to higher risks of dyslipidemia and hyperglycemia. Lutein and zeaxanthin (L/Z) are carotenoids that can alter the composition of lipoproteins, which may affect components of MetS. However, little is known about the association between L/Z intake and MetS, especially in females. The purpose of this study was to explore the relation between dietary L/Z or dietary plus supplemental L/Z intakes and MetS in women (n = 630), aged 20-50 y, participating in the NHANES 2015-2018. Compared with the lowest quartile, women in the highest quartile of dietary L/Z intake had significantly lower risk of MetS after adjusting for confounders (OR = 0.46; 95% CI: 0.21, 0.98). No significant relation was noted between dietary plus supplemental L/Z intake and MetS. Future cohort studies should investigate the effects of L/Z on MetS development in women.Item Association between hypertension and cognitive function: A cross-sectional study in people over 45 years old in China(Wiley, 2018) Wei, Jiate; Yin, Xin; Liu, Qi; Tan, Libo; Jia, Chongqi; Shandong University; University of Alabama TuscaloosaThis cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the associations of characteristics of hypertension, including hypertension status, duration, blood pressure (BP), and pulse pressure (PP), with two cognitive functions-episodic memory and executive function, in people aged over 45 years. Using 2013 survey of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) and weighted multiple linear regression, data from 6,732 participants were utilized. After fully adjusted in full sample, a significantly (P 0.05) negative association was found between treated but uncontrolled hypertension and cognition. In people aged 45-59 years, there was no significant association between hypertension and cognition. However, in people aged >= 60 years, the systolic blood pressure (SBP) and PP showed significantly adverse correlations to cognition. The negative association of untreated, treated but uncontrolled hypertension, and elevated PP with cognition increased with aging. In conclusion, this study shows the correlation between hypertension and cognition was age-dependent with greater correlation in older people; uncontrolled hypertension and PP may be used as predictors of the cognitive decline in people >= 75 years.Item Developing Biopolymer-Based Lutein Emulsion to Improve the in Vitro Bioaccessibility of Lutein and its in Vivo Bioavailability in Neonatal Rats(University of Alabama Libraries, 2023) Zhang, Yanqi; Tan, LiboOxidative stress is a major pathogenic factor in many neonatal diseases. Immature tissues at birth, such as the retina and the brain, are particularly vulnerable to oxidative stress due to their high metabolic rate. Lutein, a dietary antioxidant from leafy vegetables, acts as the macular pigment in the eye and protects the macula from light-initiated oxidative damage. However, the low bioavailability and stability of lutein limit its application as a nutritional intervention. The aim of this research was to develop a novel emulsion system for lutein using food-grade colloids as emulsifiers to improve its storage stability, in vitro bioaccessibility, and bioavailability in neonatal rats.Six types of biopolymers that are safe for infant foods, including three types of octenylsuccinated starches (CTA, HC, and PG) and three types of gum Arabic (TM, TAM, and PHGA), were chosen as emulsifier candidates to prepare biopolymer-based oil-in-water emulsions. The emulsions stabilized by CTA, HC, and TM possessed superior stability by forming gel-like emulsions and were used to prepare lutein emulsions. CTA-, HC-, and TM- stabilized lutein emulsions all exhibited a compact emulsion network and small droplet size. However, the CTA-stabilized lutein emulsion showed the overall best performance in enhancing the storage stability and in vitro bioaccessibility of lutein and was selected for the in vivo studies. In an acute dosing study, neonatal Sprague-Dawley rats received a single oral dose of free lutein or CTA-stabilized lutein emulsion. The emulsion group exhibited a significantly higher lutein bioavailability, as evidenced by pharmacokinetic parameters derived from the serum lutein kinetic curve. In two chronic dosing studies, compared to free lutein, daily consumption of lutein emulsion for 14 days in neonatal rats resulted in a significantly higher lutein concentration in the serum and several key organs, including the liver, eye, brain, and spleen.In conclusion, a safe and efficient delivery system for lutein, i.e., the biopolymer-based lutein emulsion, was successfully developed and was shown to improve the bioavailability and tissue status of lutein in neonatal rats. It has great potential to be considered as a carrier for lutein to benefit the health of newborns.Item Encapsulation in Amylose Inclusion Complex Enhances the Stability and Release of Vitamin D(MDPI, 2023) Liu, Simiao; Kong, Lingyan; Huang, Tianzhuo; Wei, Xiaohui; Tan, Libo; Luo, Hailing; Zhang, Hao; China Agricultural University; University of Alabama TuscaloosaVitamin D plays a significant role in the physiological functions of the human body. However, the application of vitamin D in functional foods is limited due to its sensitivity to light and oxygen. Therefore, in this study, we developed an effective method to protect vitamin D by encapsulating it in amylose. In detail, vitamin D was encapsulated by amylose inclusion complex, followed by structural characterization and evaluation of its stability and release properties. The results of X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed that vitamin D was successfully encapsulated in the amylose inclusion complex, and the loading capacity was 1.96% +/- 0.02%. The photostability and thermal stability of vitamin D after encapsulation was increased by 59% and 28%, respectively. In addition, in vitro simulated digestion showed that vitamin D was protected through the simulated gastric environment and can be released gradually in the simulated intestinal fluid, implying its improved bioaccessibility. Our findings provide a practical strategy for the development of functional foods based on vitamin D.Item Inhibition of starch digestion by gallic acid and alkyl gallates(Elsevier, 2020-05) Gutierrez, Alyssa San Andres; Guo, Jiayue; Feng, Jiannan; Tan, Libo; Kong, Lingyan; University of Alabama TuscaloosaAs phenolic compounds, alkyl gallates may inhibit the activity of digestive enzymes for starch. Furthermore, their alkyl chains may facilitate starch inclusion complexation and results in an increased resistant starch (RS) content or slowly digestible starch (SDS) content, which may further retard starch digestion. The significance of such inhibition is that the rate of starch hydrolysis into glucose is reduced, thereby preventing hyperglycemia and related metabolic diseases. This study examined the inhibitory effects on in vitro enzymatic digestion of starch by gallic acid and five alkyl gallates of varying alkyl chain lengths, i.e., butyl gallate, octyl gallate, dodecyl gallate, hexadecyl gallate, and octadecyl gallate. Raw and cooked potato starch (PS) and high-amylose maize starch (HAMS) were tested. For both types of raw starch, gallic acid and all the alkyl gallates significantly (p < 0.05) increased RS content except for octadecyl gallate. In the case of cooked starch, the RS contents were markedly decreased (p < 0.05) as compared to those in raw starch, because gelatinization caused an overall greater susceptibility to enzymatic digestion. The reduction in RS content was less in cooked HAMS than that in cooked PS, due to a higher gelatinization temperature range of HAMS. The aforementioned effect of gallates on RS content was also found for cooked PS, while cooked HAMS experienced increased RS only with gallic acid and butyl gallate. Overall, for the digestion of both starches, regardless of raw or cooked, gallic acid and alkyl gallates with shorter chains demonstrated the strongest inhibitory effects. Our findings indicate that shorter alkyl gallates are effective in inhibiting enzymatic digestion of starch and therefore may have potential in modulating glycemic response.Item Inhibitory Effect of Ascorbic Acid on in vitro Enzymatic Digestion of Raw and Cooked Starches(Frontiers, 2021) Guo, Jiayue; Gutierrez, Alyssa; Tan, Libo; Kong, Lingyan; University of Alabama TuscaloosaAscorbic acid, also known as vitamin C, was previously reported to inhibit the activity of pancreatic alpha-amylase, the primary digestive enzyme for starch. A major implication of such inhibition is a slowed rate of starch digestion into glucose, which thereby reduces postprandial hyperglycemia. The aim of this study was to explore the inhibitory effects of ascorbic acid at various concentrations on the in vitro digestion of high amylose maize starch (HAMS) and potato starch (PS) in both raw and cooked conditions. Resistant starch (RS) content, defined as the starch that remained after 4 h of simulated in vitro enzymatic digestion, was measured for the starch samples. Upon the addition of ascorbic acid, the RS contents increased in both raw and cooked starches. Cooking significantly reduced the RS contents as compared to raw starches, and less increase in RS was observed with the addition of ascorbic acid. The inhibitory effect of ascorbic acid on the digestion of raw starches showed a dose-dependent trend until it reached the maximum extent of inhibition. At the concentrations of 12.5 and 18.75 mg/mL, ascorbic acid exhibited the most potent inhibitory effect on the in vitro starch digestion in raw and cooked conditions, respectively. Overall, our results strongly indicate that ascorbic acid may function as a glycemic modulatory agent beyond other important functions, and its effects persist upon cooking with certain concentrations applied.Item Lipophilization and molecular encapsulation of p-coumaric acid by amylose inclusion complex(Elsevier, 2019-08) Wang, Siqi; Kong, Lingyan; Zhao, Yu; Tan, Libo; Zhang, Jing; Du, Zhongyao; Zhang, Hao; China Agricultural University; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa; Pennsylvania Commonwealth System of Higher Education (PCSHE); Pennsylvania State University; Pennsylvania State University - University Parkp-Coumaric acid (CA) is a natural phenolic compound with a wide range of bioactivities, but its tendency to degrade during food processing and storage limits its application in functional foods. Forming amylose-guest inclusion complex is a technique to molecularly encapsulate guest molecules of interest and protect them from adverse environmental challenges. However, CA cannot be encapsulated into the helical cavity of amylose so this study used a strategy of lipophilization of CA to synthesize hexadecyl p-coumarate (HC), which might complex with amylose. The formation of the amylose inclusion complex was studied by complementary techniques: differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. To test the photo-stability of CA in the complex, a direct UV irradiation was performed. The in vitro release behavior of CA in the complex was also studied in both simulated gastric and intestinal fluids. The results showed that HC, but not CA, could form inclusion complex with amylose. Compared with CA, HC, and amylose-HC physical mixture, HC complexed with amylose showed a significant improvement in photo-stability (P < 0.05), with 90% retained, double the 43% retention of CA after 72 h of direct UV irradiation, and exhibited higher release rates of CA during in vitro digestion. These findings suggest that the amylose inclusion complex is a promising technique to protect CA in foods during processing and storage and to increase its bioaccessibility.Item Lycopene and Metabolic Syndrome: A Systematic Review of the Literature(Elsevier, 2019) Senkus, Katelyn E.; Tan, Libo; Crowe-White, Kristi M.; University of Alabama TuscaloosaCardiometabolic risk factors increase the likelihood of cardiovascular disease development by 2-fold. Lycopene, a potent lipophilic antioxidant, may be able to mediate oxidative stress, a mechanism underpinning metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its risk factors. This is, to our knowledge, the first systematic review of the literature with the purpose of investigating the relation between circulating lycopene or dietary intake of lycopene and MetS as well as its risk factors. The review was conducted using PubMed and EBSCOhost databases with the search terms "lycopene" and "metabolic syndrome." Inclusion criteria included human studies published in English in a scholarly, peer-reviewed journal and evaluation of lycopene in relation to >= 3 of the 5 MetS risk factors as defined by the National Cholesterol Education Program's Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) report. The process identified 11 studies, including 8 cross-sectional and 3 intervention studies. Cross-sectional studies were grouped into 3 categories, with several studies falling into>1 category, based on results reporting associations of lycopene with the prevalence and outcomes of MetS (5 studies), presence of ATP III risk factors (4 studies), and variables mediating lycopene's influence on MetS risk (3 studies). All studies in each category reported significant protective associations. Of the 3 intervention studies, all reported significant protective effects from a lycopene-rich beverage, despite varying doses and durations of intake. Although a protective relation between lycopene and MetS was generally supported, different MetS components appeared to be influenced by lycopene rather than demonstrating consistent improvement in a single component. Thus, additional research is needed to elucidate the mechanistic effects of lycopene on MetS, as well as to determine evidence-based recommendations concerning dose-durational effects of lycopene and MetS risk reduction. In conclusion, the evidence of lycopene's benefit exists such that lycopene status or lycopene consumption may be associated with favorable alterations to the components of MetS.Item Lycopene supplementation of maternal and weanling high-fat diets influences adipose tissue development and metabolic outcomes of Sprague-Dawley offspring(Cambridge University Press, 2021) Senkus, Katelyn E.; Zhang, Yanqi; Wang, Hui; Tan, Libo; Crowe-White, Kristi M.; University of Alabama TuscaloosaDietary patterns high in fat contribute to the onset of cardiometabolic disease through the accrual of adipose tissue (AT). Lycopene, a carotenoid shown to exert multiple health benefits, may disrupt these metabolic perturbations. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate AT development and obesity-associated metabolic outcomes in the neonate and weanling offspring of Sprague-Dawley mothers fed a high-fat diet (HFD = 50 % fat) with and without lycopene supplementation. Sprague-Dawley rats consumed either a normal fat diet (NFD; 25 % fat) or HFD throughout gestation. Upon delivery, half of HFD mothers were transitioned to an HFD supplemented with 1 % lycopene (HFDL). At postnatal day 14 (P14), P25, and P35, pups were euthanised, body weight was recorded, and visceral white AT (WAT) and brown AT (BAT) mass were determined. Serum redox status, adipokines, glucose and inflammatory biomarkers were evaluated, as well as BAT mRNA expression of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1). The HFD was effective in inducing weight gain as evident by significantly greater BW and WAT in the HFD group compared to the NFD group across all time points. Compared to HFD, the HFDL group exhibited significantly greater BAT with concomitant reductions in WAT mass, serum lipid peroxides and serum glucose. No significant differences were observed in serum adipokines, inflammatory markers or UCP1 expression despite the aforementioned alterations in AT development. Results suggest that dietary lycopene supplementation may influence metabolic outcomes during the weaning and post-weaning periods. Additional research is warranted to elucidate molecular mechanisms by which lycopene influences AT biology.Item Maternal High-Fat Diet Consumption in Sprague Dawley Rats Compromised the Availability and Altered the Tissue Distribution of Lutein in Neonatal Offspring(MDPI, 2023) Zhang, Yanqi; Tan, Libo; University of Alabama TuscaloosaLutein, the most abundant carotenoid in the infant eye and brain, is critical for their visual and cognitive development. Due to its lipophilic nature, a high adiposity may affect the tissue distribution of lutein. The aim of the study was to determine the impacts of a maternal high-fat diet (HFD) consumption on the status of lutein in the neonatal offspring. Female Sprague Dawley rats (n = 6) were fed a normal fat diet (NFD) or a HFD for 8 weeks before mating, and they were switched to an NFD or an HFD containing the same concentration of lutein ester during gestation and lactation. Rat pups (n = 7/group/time) were euthanized on postnatal day 2 (P2), P6, P11, and P20 for measuring tissue lutein concentrations. No significant difference in maternal lutein intake was found between the two groups. At both P6 and P11, a significantly lower lutein concentration was noted in the milk samples separated from the stomach of HFD pups than the concentration in the samples from the NFD pups; the HFD group showed a significantly lower lutein concentration in the liver. At P11, the HFD pups exhibited a significantly lower lutein concentration in the eye, brain, and brown adipose tissue accompanied with a significantly higher lutein concentration and mass in the visceral white adipose tissue. The study was the first to provide evidence that maternal HFD consumption resulted in a compromised availability and altered distribution of lutein in the neonatal offspring.Item Retinoic acid promotes tissue vitamin A status and modulates adipose tissue metabolism of neonatal rats exposed to maternal high-fat diet-induced obesity(Cambridge University Press, 2022) Tan, Libo; Zhang, Yanqi; Wang, Hui; Haberer, Heleena; University of Alabama TuscaloosaMaternal obesity may compromise the micronunient status of the offspring. Vitamin A (VA) is an essential micronutrient during neonatal development. Its active metabolite, retinoic acid (RA), is a key regulator of VA homeostasis, which also regulates adipose tissue (AT) development in obese adults. However, its role on VA status and AT metabolism in neonates was unknown and it was determined in the present study. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were randomised to a normal fat diet (NFD) or a high fat diet (HFD). From postnatal day 5 (P5) to P20, half of the HFD pups received oral RA every 3 d (HFDRA group). NFD pups and the remaining HFD pups (HFD group) received placebo. Six hours after dosing on P8, P14 and P20, n 4 pups per group were euthanised for different measures. It was found that total retinol concentration in neonatal liver and lung was significantly lower in the HFD group than the NFD group, while the concentrations were significantly increased in the HFDRA group. The HFD group exhibited significantly higher body weight (BW) gain, AT mass, serum leptin and adiponectin, and gene expression of these adipokines in white adipose tissue compared with the NFD group; these measures were significantly reduced in the HFDRA group. BAT UCP2 and UCP3 gene expression were significantly higher in pups receiving RA. In conclusion, repeated RA treatment during the suckling period improved the tissue VA status of neonates exposed to maternal obesity. RA also exerted a regulatory effect on neonatal obesity development by reducing BW gain and adiposity and modulating AT metabolism.Item Starch-guest inclusion complexes: Formation, structure, and enzymatic digestion(Taylor & Francis, 2019-01-07) Tan, Libo; Kong, Lingyan; University of Alabama TuscaloosaStarch/amylose-guest inclusion complexes, a class of supramolecular host-guest assemblies, are of critical importance in the processing, preservation, digestion, nutrients/energy uptake, and health outcomes of starch-containing foods. Particularly, the formation of inclusion complex has been suggested to lower the rate and extent of enzymatic digestion of starch and starch-containing foods. Compared with rapidly digestible starch, starch inclusion complex may fall into the category of slowly digestible starch, providing sustained glucose release and maintaining glucose homeostasis. Therefore, the ability of starch-guest inclusion complex to alter the digestive behavior of energy-dense starchy foods has been of interest to many researchers and has the potential to be developed and formulated into functional foods. In this article, we provide a comprehensive and critical review on the current knowledge of the in vitro and in vivo enzymatic digestion of starch-guest inclusion complexes, by emphasizing the structure-digestibility relationship. We examine the preparation methods employed, crystalline structures obtained, and physicochemical properties characterized in previous reports, which all have implications on the digestive behavior reported on the starch-guest inclusion complexes. In addition, we give suggestions on future research to elucidate the digestive properties of starch-guest inclusion complexes and to develop functional structures based on these complexes for use in foods and nutrition.Item Structure-Digestibility Relationship in V-Type Inclusion Complex and its Potential As a Novel Type of Resistant Starch(University of Alabama Libraries, 2022) Guo, Jiayue; Kong, Lingyan; University of Alabama TuscaloosaAs the non-digestible portion of starch, resistant starch (RS) has been associated with many health beneficial effects such as modulating glycemic response and improving gut health. Among several types of RS, a novel type, i.e., RS5, has attracted more attention in recent years due to its high thermal stability and added functionality. The main objective of this study is to develop a V-type starch inclusion complex with retarded digestibility and low glycemic index (GI) as a novel RS5 and elucidate the structure-digestibility relationship in starch inclusion complex formed using different preparation methods and hydrothermal treatments. The starch inclusion complex of interest in this study is that formed with a bioactive guest compound, ascorbyl palmitate (AP). First, AP was shown to significantly reduce the in vitro digestibility of raw, cooked, and retrograded high amylose maize and potato starch. Then, its inclusion complexes with starch were prepared using two methods, i.e., the dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) method and the novel “empty” V-type method, and several hydrothermal treatments were applied. Although minimal RS content was present in the raw inclusion complex samples prepared by both methods, hydrothermal treatments significantly increased the RS content. Among all, annealing followed by strong acid hydrolysis (ANN-ACH) was the most effective treatment in enhancing RS content. Lastly, the ANN-ACH starch-AP inclusion complex was further examined for its hydrolysis pattern and GI in both in vitro and in vivo experiments. Consistent results were obtained that this inclusion complex showed the least glucose release and the lowest GI value, falling within the range of low GI foods. The in vivo GI was even lower than that of the raw high amylose maize starch (RS2), indicating its more pronounced effect in modulating the postprandial glycemic response in mice. In combination of the high RS content, moderate hydrolysis pattern, low GI value, and the distinctive V-type crystalline structure, the ANN-ACH treated starch-AP inclusion complex could provide potential beneficial effects on health. Future research is warranted to explore the potential ways of incorporating such ingredient in food products and the long-term effect of such novel RS5 for the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases.Item Vitamin A Status and Deposition in Neonatal and Weanling Rats Reared by Mothers Consuming Normal and High-Fat Diets with Adequate or Supplemented Vitamin A(MDPI, 2020-05-18) Zhang, Yanqi; Crowe-White, Kristi M.; Kong, Lingyan; Tan, Libo; University of Alabama TuscaloosaThe circulating level of vitamin A (VA; retinol) was reported to be lower in obese adults. It is unknown if maternal obesity influences the VA status of offspring. The objective of the study was to determine the VA status and deposition of neonatal and weanling rats reared by mothers consuming a normal or high-fat diet (NFD or HFD) with or without supplemented VA. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized to an NFD or HFD with 2.6 mg/kg VA. Upon delivery, half of the rat mothers in the NFD or HFD cohort were switched to an NFD or HFD with supplemented VA at 129 mg/kg (NFD+VA and HFD+VA group). The other half remained on their original diet (NFD and HFD group). At postnatal day 14 (P14), P25, and P35, pups (n = 4 or 3/group/time) were euthanized. The total retinol concentration in the serum, liver, visceral white adipose tissue (WAT), and brown adipose tissue (BAT) was measured. At P14, the HFD+VA group showed a significantly lower serum VA than the NFD+VA group. At P25, both the VA concentration and total mass in the liver, WAT, and BAT were significantly higher in the HFD+VA than the NFD+VA group. At P35, the HFD group exhibited a significantly higher VA concentration and mass in the liver and BAT compared with the NFD group. In conclusion, maternal HFD consumption resulted in more VA accumulation in storage organs in neonatal and/or weanling rats, which potentially compromised the availability of VA in circulation, especially under the VA-supplemented condition.Item Vitamin A Supplementation during Suckling and Postweaning Periods Attenuates the Adverse Metabolic Effects of Maternal High-Fat Diet Consumption in Sprague-Dawley Rats(Oxford University Press, 2020) Tan, Libo; Zhang, Yanqi; Crowe-White, Kristi M.; Senkus, Katelyn E.; Erwin, Maddy E.; Wang, Hui; University of Alabama TuscaloosaBackground: Vitamin A (VA) has been demonstrated to be a regulator of adipose tissue (AT) development in adult obese models. However, little is known about the effect of VA on obesity-associated developmental and metabolic conditions in early life. Objectives: We aimed to assess the effects of dietary VA supplementation during suckling and postweaning periods on the adiposity and metabolic health of neonatal and weanling rats from mothers consuming a high-fat diet (HFD). Methods: Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a normal-fat diet (NFD; 25% fat; n = 2) or an HFD (50% fat; n = 2), both with 2.6 mg VA/kg. Upon delivery, half of the rat mothers were switched to diets with supplemented VA at 129 mg/kg, whereas the other half remained at 2.6 mg VA/kg. Four groups of rat pups were designated as NFD, NFD + VA, HFD, and HFD + VA, respectively. At postnatal day (P)14, P25, and P35, pups (n = 4 or 3/group) were killed. Body weight (BW), visceral white AT (WAT) mass, brown AT (BAT) mass, uncoupling protein 1 mRNA expression in BAT, serum glucose, lipids, adipokines, and inflammatory biomarkers, as well as serum and AT redox status were assessed. Results: Rat pups in the HFD group exhibited significantly higher BW, WAT mass, and serum glucose and leptin but reduced BAT mass compared with the NFD group. Without affecting the dietary intake, supplementing the HFD with VA significantly reduced the BW and WAT mass of pups but increased the BAT mass, significantly lowered the systemic and WAT oxidative stress, and modulated serum adipokines and lipids to some extent. Conclusions: VA supplementation during suckling and postweaning periods attenuated metabolic perturbations caused by excessive fat intake. Supplementing maternal or infant obesogenic diets with VA or establishing a higher RDA of VA for specific populations should be studied further for managing overweight/obesity in early life.