Antidiabetic and Antiobesity Potential and Phytochemical Analysis of Ethanol and Water Extracts of 17 Cree Plants

Abstract

We aimed to evaluate and compare the antidiabetic and anti-obesity potentials and mechanisms of 17 Cree plants’ ethanol extracts (EE) and hot water extracts (HWE) on lipid homeostasis in vitro and to analyze their phytochemical profiles based on biological activity. Post-confluent 3T3-L1 cells were differentiated and intracellular triglyceride content was measured. Some key transcription factors (Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor [PPAR] γ, sterol-regulatory element-binding protein-1 [SREBP-1] and CCAAT-enhancer binding proteins [C/EBP] α) were assessed by Western blot. Phytochemical profiles were analyzed based on biological activity by principal component analysis (PCA) using Marklynx. The results confirmed that 10 of the 17 EE potentiated adipocyte differentiation, whereas 2 inhibited the same. Corresponding HWE exhibited partial or complete loss of such adipogenic or anti-adipogenic activity. Selected stimulators of adipogenesis activated several transcription factors, whereas the inhibitors decreased the same. R. groenlandicum HWE and EE stimulated similar transcription factors but HWE of other selected plants lost such effects compared to their respective EE. In the PCA, all HWE and EE clustered together. When EE samples were analyzed alone by PCA, inhibitory plants could clearly be separated from others; plant family could also segregate stimulating and inactive species. Method of extraction is a significant determinant of the biological activity of a medicinal plant. MarkerLynx with PCA analysis is a powerful method for analysis of these plants’ chemical profiles.