Obesity is the growing concern for various medical experts around the globe. Excessive weight increases vulnerability to various diseases. Recent study revealed that the enzyme, MGAT2 can help in preventing obesity. Researchers at the University of California in San Francisco believe that drugs targeting this enzyme can help in preventing obesity.

Researchers found that the intestinal enzyme MGAT2 plays a crucial role in this energy storage process and the consequent build-up of fat in animal models. Mice in which this enzyme has been made inactive were able to consume a high-fat diet without putting on weight.

After 16 weeks, the experimental mice weighed 40% less than mice with functioning MGAT2 genes and the amount of fat they carried was more than 50% lower.

Lead author Professor Bob Farese Jr., professor of medicine and biochemistry at the University of California in San Francisco, said: "The enzyme is a gatekeeper in the intestine for absorbing fat. We inactivated that in mice to see how effective it was."

"The mice that didn't have the enzyme were given more fat and the rate of uptake of fat was slowed."