METHOD OF REDUCING WEIGHT REGAIN IN MAMMALS

1 . A method of reducing weight regain in mammals after a hypocaloric weight-loss diet using phytoecdysones.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising stabilizing a diameter of adipocytes after the hypocaloric weight-loss diet.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising stabilizing an insulin sensitivity previously improved by the hypocaloric weight-loss diet.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of selecting the phytoecdysones from 20-hydroxyecdysone, makisterone A, 24-epimakisterone A, 24(28)-dehydromakisterone A, 20,26-dihydroxyecdysone, and combinations of two or more of these components.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of providing the phytoecdysones in a form of a plant extract.

6 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein the plant extract comprises at least 1 % phytoecdysones by weight.

7 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein the plant extract is from quinoa.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of incorporating the phytoecdysones into a composition that can be orally administered.

9 . A method of reducing weight gain according to claim 1 using a quinoa extract without saponins, enriched with one or more phytoecdysones, the quinoa extract prepared as follows:

separating flour from bran of quinoa seeds;

water extraction of the bran of the quinoa seeds to provide an aqueous extract;

solid/liquid separation and centrifugation of the aqueous extract;

heating of supernatant to precipitate proteins; and

purification by chromatography of the supernatant to enrich it with phytoecdysones and to eliminate saponins from the quinoa extract.