## 4 Discussion
The FF was administered to obese and diabetic model mice fed an HFD, resulting in weight reduction and the inhibition of increases in TC, TG, and LDL while promoting an increase in HDL (Table 2, Figure 6). LDL is a lipoprotein and serves as an important transporter of cholesterol in the bloodstream [63]. Obesity is commonly associated with low HDL levels and an increase in abundant lipoproteins. One of the primary functions of HDL is to assist transportation to the liver for excretion [64; 65]. These results confirmed that the administration of FF improved weight and lipid accumulation decrease rates. Several current studies are investigating various methods, including functional foods and probiotics, to prevent obesity and diabetes. Previous studies on diabetes have demonstrated that probiotics can help reduce blood glucose levels [64; 65; 66; 67]. In addition, _Lactobacillus_ has the potential to inhibit \(\alpha\)-glucosidase and can suppress postprandial hyperglycemia by alleviating carbohydrate digestion and absorption [68]. The association between obesity and type 2 diabetes is well known, with a key premise that obesity causes IR [69]. IR and insulin secretion dysfunction affect the entire process of type 2 diabetes, and the treatment of type 2 diabetes begins with reducing IR and secretion dysfunction [70]. C-P is a reliable marker of pancreatic \(\beta\)-cell function and can be measured within a stable range, as it is eliminated from the peripheral circulation at a constant rate [71; 72]. Based on these findings, the improvement in C-P and insulin levels, as well as reductions in fasting blood glucose and IPGTT levels, suggest potential benefits for the treatment and prevention of type 2 diabetes. In our study, we confirmed that FF can help reduce fasting blood glucose and IPGTT levels and improve C-peptide and insulin levels (Table 3, Figures 3 and 5). These results demonstrate the potential of FF to improve IR. Chronic HFD administration activates inflammation in liver tissue, leading to the release of various inflammatory cytokines, including IL-6 and IL-18 [45; 46; 47]. These are commonly known pro-inflammatory cytokines and are considered general markers of inflammation associated with obesity [73; 74]. In our study, IL-6 and IL-18 increased with an HFD, and inflammation was confirmed to be inhibited by FF. Additionally, a decrease in iNOS expression was also observed (Figure 8). Expression of iNOS is a feature of inflammation, as it is an enzyme that affects the production of inflammatory cytokines [75; 76]. Lipid accumulation functions as a factor in obesity and is regulated by various adipose-specific proteins, including C/EBP\(\alpha\), as well as lipid-synthesizing enzymes, such as FABP4 and FAS [77]. ACC functions as a rate-limiting enzyme in fatty acid biosynthesis, inhibiting FAS and increasing fatty acid oxidation [78]. In our study, we observed a decrease in the expression of FAS, FABP4, and C/EBP\(\alpha\), along with an increase in ACC expression due to FF (Figure 9). These results indicate that FF has an anti-inflammatory effect in obese mice by suppressing inflammatory factors and reducing the expression of key adipogenesis factors of lipid formation, suggesting its potential to inhibit lipid accumulation.