Abstract
A Panax ginseng extract (PGE) with a quantified amount of ginsenosides was utilized to investigate its potential to inhibit proliferation, influence lipid acquisition and adiponectin expression in 3T3-L1 cells. Seven fingerprint ginsenosides were quantified using high performance liquid chromatography and their respective molecular weights were further confirmed via LC-ESI-MS analysis from four different extraction methods. Extraction using methanol under reflux produced significantly higher amounts of ginsenosides. The methanol extract consisted of Rg1 (47.40 ± 4.28 mg/g, dry weight of extract), Re (61.62 ± 5.10 mg/g), Rf (6.14 ± 0.28 mg/g), Rb1 (21.73 ± 1.29 mg/g), Rc (78.79 ± 4.15 mg/g), Rb2 (56.80 ± 3.79 mg/g), Rd (5.90 ± 0.41 mg/g). MTT analysis showed that PGE had a concentration-dependent cytotoxic effect on 3T3-L1 preadipocyte and the LC50 value was calculated to be 18.2 ± 5 µg/mL. Cell cycle analysis showed minimal changes in all four phases. Differentiating adipocytes treated with ginseng extract had a visible decrease in lipid droplets formation measured by Oil red O staining. Consequently, triglycerides levels in media significantly (P < 0.05) decreased by 39.5% and 46.1% when treated at concentrations of1 µg/mL and 10 µg/mL compared to untreated control cells. Western blot analysis showed that the adiponectin protein expression was significantly (P < 0.05) increased at 10 µg/mL, but not at 1 µg/mL. A quantified PGE reduced the growth of 3T3-L1 cells, down-regulated lipid accumulation and up-regulated adiponectin expression in the 3T3-L1 adipocyte cell model.
Highlights
Adipocytes play a central role in the regulation of energy balance and mediate numerous factors known to be involved in immunological responses, vascular diseases, and appetite regulation [1,2,3]
We investigated if Panax ginseng extract (PGE) was able to influence intracellular lipid accumulation in adipocytes and it was found to have reduced it
We suggest that the suppressive effect of the PGE on lipid accumulation was likely to be a combined effect of a cocktail involving many different ginsenosides, which may induce multiple effects
Summary
Adipocytes play a central role in the regulation of energy balance and mediate numerous factors known to be involved in immunological responses, vascular diseases, and appetite regulation [1,2,3]. Huang et al reported that compound K referred to as ginsenoside CK inhibited triglyceride accumulation in cultured adipocytes while Rg1 enhanced it [11]. Both compounds were shown to activate AMPK (5' AMP-activated protein kinase) and PI3K (phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase) signaling pathways, stimulating glucose uptake in concentrationresponse manner [11]. Ginsenoside Rg3 was shown to have effectively inhibited adipocyte differentiation via AMPK activation and PPARγ (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor) inhibition [14].The overall pharmacology of ginseng is complex [9] and it is currently unclear if specific ginsenosides or an extract containing ginsenosides is able to exhibit stronger adipocyte metabolism influencing effect. The objective of this study was to demonstrate the effects of
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