Intermittent fasting (IF) is a preventative tool that influence the metabolic activity in different animal models. Short term fasting is a common laboratory procedure performed during various types of experiments to facilitate surgical procedures or to decrease variability in investigatory parameters; however, the long-term impacts of intermittent energy restriction on body metabolism remains poorly studied. Forty-five male adult Sprague Dawley rats weighing 200 ±20g, were divided into three

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... ups, each of 15 rats; CON: control group (rats fed typical rat chow, ad libitum), ADF: the alternate day fasting group, and TRF: time-restricted feeding group (rats fasting for two days a week plus the three middle lunar days in the month) for a period of three months. The results showed that the reduction in body weight in ADF group was more than TRF group. Total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TAG), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) and very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-c) were decreased, whereas adiponectin was increased in both ADF and TRF groups in a time-dependent manner, especially in ADF group. Marked downregulation in the mRNA expression of key enzymes (glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) and transketolase (TKT)) of pentose phosphate pathway was noticed in both ADF and TRF groups as compared to CON group. A significant improvement in oxidant/antioxidant status was noticed in ADF and TRF compared to CON group. The metabolic benefits of TRF appeared quite less effective on most parameters as compared to ADF, however, further research is warranted using modified diet restriction protocols in healthy as well as disease models.