Abstract
ABSTRACTBackground: Edible flowers, Tropaeolum majus has been used as a disinfectant and an antibiotic, and for wound healing, but the anti-obesity effects of this plant have not been reported previouslyObjective: We investigated the anti-adipogenic effects of T. majus ethanol extract (TME) on 3T3-L1 cells.Design: 3T3-L1 cells were differentiated in the presence of different concentrations of TME. Lipid accumulation levels were determined using Oil-Red O staining and a triglyceride content assay. Changes in the expression of proteins related to adipocyte differentiation in 3T3-L1 cells were determined by SDS-PAGE and western blotting.Results: The highest inhibition of lipid accumulation was observed at a TME concentration of 300 µg/mL. Additionally, TME concentrations ranging from 20 µg/mL to 500 µg/mL led to a decrease in the expression of adipocyte differentiation regulators, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ, CCAAT element binding protein α, and sterol regulatory element binding transcription factor 1. This decrease was shown to be concentration-dependent.Discussion: Taken together, the results of this study demonstrate that TME inhibits lipid accumulation and reduces the expression PPARG, CEBPA, and SREBF1, which regulate adipocyte differentiation in 3T3-L1 cells.Conclusions: TME may be a potential novel therapeutic agent for the prevention and treatment of obesity.
Highlights
The number of obese individuals is growing worldwide, and the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III [1] and the World Health Organization (WHO) have declared obesity as one of the key features of metabolic syndrome [2]
Microscopic observations of the Oil Red O-stained lipid droplets within the cells revealed a concentration-dependent decline in the lipid content in the T. majus ethanol extract (TME)-treated cells, in comparison with that observed in the control group (Figure 3)
Absorbance measurements showed that the accumulation of lipids in 3T3-L1 adipocytes decreased in a concentration-dependent manner, with the lowest lipid accumulation rate observed in the cells treated with 300 μg/mL TME
Summary
The number of obese individuals is growing worldwide, and the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III [1] and the World Health Organization (WHO) have declared obesity as one of the key features of metabolic syndrome [2]. Obesity is defined as an increase in body weight caused by the excessive accumulation of adipocytes, and it usually accompanies other conditions, such as insulin resistance-related diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipoproteinemia [3]. These diseases are exacerbated by the adverse effects of obesity on blood pressure regulation, insulin sensitivity, and plasma triglyceride and leptin concentrations [4]. PPARG binds to the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs), a type of nuclear receptor, and it plays a role in the regulation of adipogenesis while promoting lipogenesis in mature adipocytes [10,11]. Tropaeolum majus has been used as a disinfectant and an antibiotic, and for wound healing, but the anti-obesity effects of this plant have not been reported previously
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