{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,24]],"date-time":"2026-03-24T09:19:36Z","timestamp":1774343976179,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":44,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,22]],"date-time":"2026-03-22T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1774137600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100003069","name":"Instituto Polit\u00e9cnico Nacional","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","award":["20240889"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["20240889"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100003069","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100003069","name":"Instituto Polit\u00e9cnico Nacional","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","award":["20250977"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["20250977"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100003069","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100003069","name":"Instituto Polit\u00e9cnico Nacional","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","award":["20230799"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["20230799"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100003069","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100003069","name":"Instituto Polit\u00e9cnico Nacional","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","award":["20240919"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["20240919"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100003069","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"name":"SECIHTI","award":["I1200\/311\/2023"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["I1200\/311\/2023"]}]},{"name":"SECIHTI","award":["#Mod.Ord.11\/2025"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["#Mod.Ord.11\/2025"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Molecules"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Main risk factors associated with the development of sarcopenia (coexistence of muscle mass loss and dysfunction) are a sedentary lifestyle coupled with obesity. Associated mitochondrial dysfunction leads to energy deficits and perturbations in the balance between protein synthesis and degradation, thereby triggering muscle dysfunction or atrophy. Aside from exercise, which is challenging to implement and maintain, particularly in women, treatments for diminishing sarcopenia are scarce. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of the flavanol (\u2212)-epicatechin (EC) in a hypercaloric diet-induced obese female rat model. Muscle strength and endurance, as well as relative mitochondrial DNA content in skeletal muscle, were assessed. Methods: Female rats were fed a hypercaloric diet to induce obesity, as evidenced by increases in body weight, Lee index, and lipid profile alterations, and by abdominal fat accumulation, and to promote a sarcopenic phenotype. Functional tests of grip strength and mobility (treadmill) were performed. Mitochondrial relative content was evaluated by measuring the ratio of mtDNA\/nuclear DNA, and the expression of genes related to mitochondrial biogenesis (Pgc1-\u03b1, Tfam), fusion (Mfn1 and Opa1), fission (Drp1 and Fis1), and mitophagy (Pink1 and Pkn), and function; citrate synthase and Ucp3 were also evaluated. Results: A significant decrease in mobility and strength was observed in obese female rats, accompanied by reduced mitochondrial numbers, activity, and dynamics, but not by changes in muscle size or weight. Treatment with EC induced mitochondrial biogenesis and positive changes in mitochondrial dynamics (fission and fusion) and activity, as measured indirectly by changes in citrate synthase and Ucp3 expression. Discussion: Results reinforce the potential of EC as a modulator of mitochondrial function in dysfunctional conditions associated with obesity, thereby attenuating the mechanisms underlying sarcopenia.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/molecules31061050","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,23]],"date-time":"2026-03-23T08:47:42Z","timestamp":1774255662000},"page":"1050","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Effect of (\u2212)-Epicatechin on Mitochondrial Homeostasis in Skeletal Muscle of Female Obese Rats"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"31","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6463-1448","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Elena de la C.","family":"Herrera-Cogco","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Facultad de Ciencias Qu\u00edmicas, Universidad Veracruzana, Prolongaci\u00f3n de Oriente 6, No. 1009, Orizaba 94340, Veracruz, Mexico"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0838-470X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Socorro","family":"Herrera-Meza","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto de Investigaciones Psicol\u00f3gicas, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Lomas del Estadio s\/n, Xalapa 91000, Veracruz, Mexico"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7576-3841","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Yuridia","family":"Mart\u00ednez-Meza","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Polit\u00e9cnico Nacional, Ciudad de M\u00e9xico 11340, Mexico"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3302-7720","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Javier","family":"P\u00e9rez-Dur\u00e1n","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Polit\u00e9cnico Nacional, Ciudad de M\u00e9xico 11340, Mexico"},{"name":"Reproductive and Perinatal Health Research Department, Instituto Nacional de Perinatolog\u00eda Isidro Espinosa de los Reyes, Ciudad de M\u00e9xico 11000, Mexico"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2155-3934","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Guillermo","family":"Ceballos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Polit\u00e9cnico Nacional, Ciudad de M\u00e9xico 11340, Mexico"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0378-1768","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Enrique","family":"M\u00e9ndez-Bolaina","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Facultad de Ciencias Qu\u00edmicas, Universidad Veracruzana, Prolongaci\u00f3n de Oriente 6, No. 1009, Orizaba 94340, Veracruz, Mexico"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6869-8762","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nayelli","family":"N\u00e1jera","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Polit\u00e9cnico Nacional, Ciudad de M\u00e9xico 11340, Mexico"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,22]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1534","DOI":"10.1161\/CIRCULATIONAHA.123.064071","article-title":"Sarcopenia and Cardiovascular Diseases","volume":"147","author":"Damluji","year":"2023","journal-title":"Circulation"},{"key":"ref_2","unstructured":"(2025). 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