Shafe, Mercy OmoyeGumede, Nontobeko MylletNyakudya, Trevor TapiwaChivandi, Eliton2026-03-122026-03-122026Shafe, M.O., Gumede, N.M., Nyakudya, T.T. & Chivandi, E. Supplemental Lycopene Reduces Feed Intake, Increases Fluid Consumption, and Enhances Bone and Stomach Growth in Growing Wistar Rats Fed a High-Fructose Diet. Journal of Medicinal Food. 2026; 0(0). doi: 10.1177/1096620X251409053.1096-620X (print)1557-7600 (online)10.1177/1096620X251409053http://hdl.handle.net/2263/108928DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT : Data are provided within the article.Dietary modification in early life can either increase susceptibility or improve resistance to metabolic diseases in adulthood. This study evaluated the potential of lycopene to mitigate metabolic derangements caused by a high-fructose diet in rats mimicking adolescents fed a high-fructose diet. Ninety-six weanling Wistar rats (male and female, aged 21 days) were randomly allocated to six treatment groups: (1) standard rat chow (SRC), plain drinking water (PDW), and plain gelatin cubes (PG); (2) SRC + PDW + 20% fructose solution (FS); (3) SRC + FS + 100 mg/kg fenofibrate (FENO) + PG; and (4–6) SRC + FS with lycopene at 30, 60, and 100 mg/kg/day, respectively, for 12 weeks. Body mass, feed, and fluid intake were measured twice weekly. At termination, rats were fasted overnight, weighed, euthanized, and assessed for gastrointestinal viscera, femora, and tibiae parameters, including mass and length, with bone mass-to-length ratios computed. The rats grew significantly (P < .05) during the trial. Control males had higher mean weekly body mass than medium-dose lycopene-supplemented rats (weeks 3–4) and fenofibrate-treated rats (weeks 10–12), and higher terminal body mass than fructose-fed and fenofibrate groups (P < .05). In both sexes, controls had greater total feed intake (TFI) than all groups (P < .05). Lycopene reduced TFI but increased fluid intake compared with control and fenofibrate-treated groups (P < .05). Fenofibrate increased total calorie intake in females compared with all groups and in males compared with fructose-fed and lycopene-supplemented groups (P < .05). Lycopene-supplemented males had heavier femora and longer tibiae than fenofibrate-treated counterparts (P < .05). Medium- and high-dose lycopene increased stomach mass in males compared with controls, while low-dose lycopene reduced small intestine mass compared with fenofibrate (P < .05). Lycopene may support bone health, enhance gastric function, and prevent fenofibrate-induced bone loss in male Wistar rats.en© 2025 SAGE Publications.Bone and visceraFenofibrateFructoseLycopeneArticle