• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.42 no.3
• /
• pp.249-257
• /
• 2014

In this study, the anti-oxidative and anti-obesity activities of Amomum cardamomum L. methanol extract (ACME) were evaluated using DPPH radical scavenging activity assay, pancreatic lipase enzyme inhibition assay, and the cell culture model system. ACME exhibited DPPH radical scavenging activities dose-dependently, with $IC_{50}$ of DPPH radical scavenging activities of ACME being $25.15{\mu}g/ml$. Furthermore, ACME effectively suppressed pancreatic lipase enzyme activity dose-dependently. ACME also significantly suppressed adipocyte differentiation, lipid accumulation, triglyceride (TG) contents, and triggered lipolysis activity on 3T3-L1 preadipocytes in a dose-dependent manner, without cytotoxicity. Their anti-obesity effect was modulated by the cytidine-cytidine-adenosine-adenosine-thymidine (CCAAT)/enhancer binding proteins ${\alpha}$ ($C/EBP{\alpha}$), $C/EBP{\beta}$ and the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ${\gamma}$ ($PPAR{\gamma}$) gene and protein expressions. Taken together, these results provide an important new insight that A. cardamomum L. possesses anti-oxidative and anti-obesity activities such as pancreatic lipase inhibition, anti-adipogenic, and lipolysis effects. There is therefore potential for its use as a promising component in the field of nutraceuticals and the identification of the active compounds that confer the anti-oxidative and anti-obesity activities of ACME might be an appropriate next step.

• Food Science and Preservation
• /
• v.19 no.3
• /
• pp.455-461
• /
• 2012

Obesity, a strong risk factor for the development of chronic diseases, is characterized by an increase in the number and size of adipocytes differentiated from precursor cells, preadipocytes. Recent research suggests that increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in 3T3-L1 adipocyte facilitates adipocyte differentiation and fat accumulation. This study was to investigate whether reduced ROS production by Sargassum micracanthum extract (SME) could protect the development of obesity through inhibition of adipogenesis. 3T3-L1 preadipocytes were treated SME for up to 8 days following standard induction of differentiation. The extent of differentiation reflected by amount of lipid accumulation and ROS production was determined by Oil red O staining and nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) assay. Treatment of SME significantly inhibited ROS production and adipocyte differentiation that is depend on down regulation of NADPH oxidase 4 (NOX4), a major ROS generator, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma ($PPAR{\gamma}$) and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein alpha ($C/EBP{\alpha}$), a key adipogenic transcription factor. These results indicate that SME can inhibit adipogenesis through a reduced ROS level that involves down-regulation of NOX4 expression or via modulation of adipogenic transcription factor.

• Food Science and Preservation
• /
• v.22 no.5
• /
• pp.744-750
• /
• 2015

The present study was designed to investigate the effects of hot water and ethanol extracts of Nelumbo nucifera Gaertner flower on lipid accumulation and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production during adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 cells. 3T3-L1 preadipocytes were treated with both hot water and ethanol extracts for up to 8 days following standard induction of differentiation. Regarding anti-adipogenic activity, compared with the control, the hot water and ethanol extracts significantly inhibited lipid accumulation (37.4 and 66.6%, respectively) and ROS production (46.4 and 46.8%, respectively) during adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 cells. Treatment with hot water and ethanol extracts significantly inhibited mRNA expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma ($PPAR{\gamma}$) and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein alpha ($C/EBP{\alpha}$), thereby reducing the mRNA expression of adipocyte-specific fatty acid binding protein (aP2). Moreover, both the extracts significantly inhibited mRNA expression of NADPH oxidase (NOX4). Overall, our research suggests that N. nucifera Gaertner flower extracts might be a valuable source of bioactive compounds that exhibit anti-adipogenic activity and could have applications in the field of medicine and food industry.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.43 no.4
• /
• pp.336-342
• /
• 2015

Previously, Euptelea pleiosperma was identified as one of the useful sources containing anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory activities for the first time in our research group. In this study, anti-obesity effect of E. pleiosperma ethanol extract (EPEE) was evaluated by using a pancreatic lipase enzyme inhibition assay and a cell culture model system. EPEE suppressed effectively pancreatic lipase enzyme activity dose dependently. Furthermore, EPEE significantly suppressed adipocyte differentiation, lipid accumulation, triglyceride contents, and triggered lipolysis activity on 3T3-L1 preadipocytes in a dose-dependent manner without cytotoxicity. Anti-adipogenic effect of EPEE was modulated by cytidine-cytidine-adenosine-adenosine-thymidine (CCAAT)/enhancer binding proteins ${\alpha}(C/EBP{\alpha})$, $C/EBP{\beta}$ and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ${\gamma}(PPAR{\gamma})$ gene and protein expressions. Taken together, these results provide the important new insight that E. pleiosperma possesses anti-obesity activities such as pancreatic lipase inhibition, anti-adipogenic, and lipolysis effects. It might be utilized as promising sources in the fields of nutraceuticals. The identification of active compounds that confer anti-obesity activity of EPEE might be needed.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.29 no.4
• /
• pp.447-454
• /
• 2019

Fat accumulation in adipocytes occurs through the process of adipogenesis in which preadipocytes differentiate into adipocytes. Obesity is a metabolic disorder caused by excessive accumulation of fat in the body, which increases the incidence of cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and various cancers. Recently, inhibition of adipocyte differentiation was shown to be a potential antiobesity strategy. In this study, the inhibitory effect of dichloromethane fractions from Illicium verum Hooker fil. water extract on the differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes to adipocytes was investigated. Dichloromethane fractions from I. verum Hooker fil. significantly inhibited adipocyte differentiation when applied during the adipocyte differentiation process, as assessed by measuring fat accumulation using Oil-red O staining. In addition, dichloromethane fractions from I. verum Hooker fil. reduced important adipogenic transcription factors, such as CCAAT/enhancer binding protein ${\alpha}$ ($C/EBP{\alpha}$), $C/EBP{\beta}$, and peroxisome proliferator activated receptor ${\gamma}$ ($PPAR{\gamma}$). The expression of FAS and LPL, which are terminal differentiation markers of mature adipocytes, was also reduced in the 3T3-L1 adipocytes treated with dichloromethane fractions from I. verum Hooker fil. In addition, the treatment significantly inhibited mitotic clonal expansion, which is essential for adipocyte differentiation, by arresting the G1 phase of the cell cycle. Taken together, these results suggest that dichloromethane fractions from I. verum Hooker fil. may be a natural material with antiobesity effects.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
• /
• v.46 no.5
• /
• pp.630-635
• /
• 2014

Pine nut oil (PNO) is well known to impart beneficial effects in overweight individuals, but the mechanisms underlying PNO-mediated weight loss remain unclear. To investigate how PNO promotes weight loss, its composition was determined by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In addition, the effects of PNO on cytotoxicity, lipid accumulation, expression of lipid metabolism-related biomarkers, and leptin secretion were assessed in 3T3-L1 cells. GC-MS analyses revealed that PNO contains several components, including linoleic acid, oleic acid, palmitic acid, and stearic acid. Moreover, PNO did not have a cytotoxic effect on 3T3-L1 cells. However, it inhibited the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) and adipocyte protein 2 (aP2). Finally, PNO significantly increased leptin secretion in a dose-dependent manner. Taken together, these results support the notion that PNO is useful for weight management in overweight individuals.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.22 no.4
• /
• pp.576-583
• /
• 2009

G protein-coupled receptor 43 (GPR43) is a newly-discovered short-chain free fatty acid receptor and its functions remain to be defined. The objective of this study was to investigate the function of GPR43 on lipolysis. We successfully cloned the GPR43 gene from the pig (EU122439), and measured the level of GPR43 mRNA in different tissues and primary pig adipocytes. The expression level of GPR43 mRNA was higher in adipose tissue and increased gradually with adipocyte differentiation. Then we examined GPR43 mRNA level in different types, growth-stages and various regions of adipose tissue of pigs. The results showed that the expression level of GPR43 mRNA was significantly higher in adipose tissue of obese pigs than in lean pigs, and the expression level also gradually increased as age increased. We further found that the abundance of GPR43 mRNA level increased more in subcutaneous fat than visceral fat. Thereafter, we studied the correlation between GPR43 and lipid metabolism-related genes in adipose tissue and primary pig adipocytes. GPR43 gene had significant negative correlation with hormone-sensitive lipase gene (HSL, r = -0.881, p<0.01) and triacylglycerol hydrolase gene (TGH, r = -0.848, p<0.01) in adipose tissue, and had positive correlation with peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor $\gamma$ gene ($PPAR_{\gamma}$, r = 0.809, p<0.01) and lipoprotein lipase gene (LPL, r = 0.847, p<0.01) in adipocytes. In addition, we fed different concentrations of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) to mice, and analyzed expression level changes of GPR43, HSL and TGH in adipose. The results showed that DHA down-regulated GPR43 and up-regulated HSL and TGH mRNA levels; GPR43 also had significant negative correlation with HSL (low: r = -0.762, p<0.01; high: r = -0.838, p<0.01) and TGH (low: r = -0.736, p<0.01; high: r = -0.586, p<0.01). Our results suggested that GPR43 is a potential factor which regulates lipolysis in adipose tissue, and DHA as a receptor of GPR43 might promote lipolysis through down-regulating the expression of GPR43 mRNA.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
• /
• v.41 no.4
• /
• pp.270-274
• /
• 2010

Obesity is caused from an imbalance between energy intake and expenditure, which may lead to pathologic growth of adipocytes and accumulation of fat in tissue. We examined the inhibitory effects of Eriobotrya japonica leaf and seed extracts on lipid absorption in vitro and fat accumulation during the differentiation of 3T3-L1 to adipocytes. 3T3-L1 preadipocytes were stimulated with DMEM media containing 10% FBS, 0.5 mM 3-isobuthyl-1-methyxanthine (IBMX), $5\;{\mu}g/ml$ insulin, and $1\;{\mu}g/ml$ dexamethasone for differentiation to adipocytes. E. japonica leaf extract at concentration of 0.5 or 1 mg/ml inhibited pancreatic lipase activity. The cell viability of 3T3-L1 adipocytes slightly reduced about 3% by treatment of E. Japonica leaf and seed extracts. The leaf and seed extracts of E. japonica effectively inhibited the accumulations of lipid droplet and expression of $C/EBP{\alpha}$ promoting adipogenesis. Thus, this data suggest that E. japonica leaf and seed extracts inhibit fat accumulation through regulation of $C/EBP{\alpha}$, and leaf extract is more effective in lipid absorption and adipogenesis than seed extract.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.26 no.6
• /
• pp.539-545
• /
• 2018

4-Hydroxy-2-(4-hydroxyphenethyl)isoindoline-1,3-dione (PD1) is a synthetic phthalimide derivative of a marine compound. PD1 has peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) ${\gamma}$ agonistic and anti-inflammatory effects. This study aimed to investigate the effect of PD1 on allergic asthma using rat basophilic leukemia (RBL)-2H3 mast cells and an ovalbumin (OVA)-induced asthma mouse model. In vitro, PD1 suppressed ${\beta}$-hexosaminidase activity in RBL-2H3 cells. In the OVA-induced allergic asthma mouse model, increased inflammatory cells and elevated Th2 and Th1 cytokine levels were observed in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and lung tissue. PD1 administration decreased the numbers of inflammatory cells, especially eosinophils, and reduced the mRNA and protein levels of the Th2 cytokines including interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-13, in BALF and lung tissue. The severity of inflammation and mucin secretion in the lungs of PD1-treated mice was also less. These findings indicate that PD1 could be a potential compound for anti-allergic therapy.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.53 no.4
• /
• pp.212-217
• /
• 2020

Activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) serves as a key factor in the proliferation and invasion of breast cancer cells and is a potential therapeutic target for breast cancer. However, the mechanisms underlying this effect remain largely unknown. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is induced and over-expressed in various cancers and is associated with features of tumor aggressiveness. Recent studies have shown that HO-1 is a major downstream target of PPARγ. In this study, we investigated the effects of induction of HO-1 by PPARγ on TPA-induced MMP-9 expression and cell invasion using MCF-7 breast cancer cells. TPA treatment increased NF-κB /AP-1 DNA binding as well as MMP-9 expression. These effects were significantly blocked by 15d-PGJ₂, a natural PPARγ ligand. 15d-PGJ₂ induced HO-1 expression in a dose-dependent manner. Interestingly, HO-1 siRNA significantly attenuated the inhibition of TPA-induced MMP-9 protein expression and cell invasion by 15d-PGJ₂. These results suggest that 15d-PGJ₂ inhibits TPA-induced MMP-9 expression and invasion of MCF-7 cells by means of a heme oxygenase-1-dependent mechanism. Therefore, PPARγ/HO-1 signaling-pathway inhibition may be beneficial for prevention and treatment of breast cancer.