Estimated daily intake, total fecal output and percentage eliminated of main macronutrients in the obese (Ob) and lean (Le) Zucker rats. Control group (CT) and rosemary extract (RE)-supplemented rats.

a<p>: values expressed per rat and per day and calculated using the average daily diet intake and diet composition presented in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0094687#pone.0094687.s003" target="_blank">Table S1</a>; ^btotal dietary fiber (AOAC 985.29); ^c: f.w., fresh weight; ^d: g/100 fecal fresh weight; ^e: mg/rat day; ^f: (% eliminated with respect to daily intake); ^g: carbohydrates were estimated by difference; *: <i>P</i><0.05 and **: <i>P</i><0.01 against the CT group.</p

Effect of the RE-supplementation on gut enzyme activity.

<p>α-Amylase activity in the small intestine and β-glucosidase activity in the caecum of obese (Ob) and lean (Le) Zucker female rats. Results are shown as % of inhibition respect to the activity in the corresponding control (CT) group.</p

Effect of the RE-supplementation on SCFA fecal composition.

<p>Results are shown as µg/g of feces f.w. (fresh weight) in obese (Ob) and lean (Le) female Zucker rats fed a control (CT) diet or the diet supplemented with the rosemary extract (RE) rich in carnosic acid (CA, ∼40%). Significant differences between groups are indicated by *<i>P</i><0.05, **<i>P</i><0.01.</p

Discriminant principal component analysis (PCA).

<p>Analysis of the caecum bacterial groups in Zucker male obese (Ob) and lean (Le) rats and the serum triglycerides, cholesterol, leptin, insulin, adiponectin, TNF-α, and IL-1β previously measured in the same animals <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0094687#pone.0094687-Slavin1" target="_blank">[16]</a>, <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0094687#pone.0094687-Selma1" target="_blank">[17]</a>. Plot analysis of the four animal groups: control lean rats (CTLe, open squares), RE-supplemented lean rats (RELe, black diamonds), control obese rats (CTOb, open triangles) and RE-supplemented obese rats (REOb, black circles).</p