Cirsium setidens Nakai extract inhibits adipocyte differentiation and High‐Fat Diet‐induced obesity in Mice

Abstract

Cirsium setidens Nakai, a wild perennial herb, grows mainly in Kangwon province, Korea, and it has been reported to contain bioactive ingredients with various medicinal activities including treat edema, bleeding and hemoptysis. However, the potentiality of anti‐obesity effects of C. setidens Nakai has not been fully investigated. Thus, we investigated the anti‐obesity effect of C. setidens Nakai extract (CNE) on lipid accumulation in 3T3‐L1 cells during the differentiation and obesity in high‐fat diet (HFD)‐ induced obese C57BL/6 mice. Furthermore, evaluate the concentrations of serum lipids, including total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol, in mice fed a high‐fat diet. Our results show that CNE inhibited adipocyte differentiation of 3T3‐L1 preadipocytes. Exposure to 100 ¥ìg/mL, CNE significantly reduced lipid accumulation (~30%) in 3T3‐L1 cells compared to control cells by downregulating gene expression of adipogenesis‐related mRNA such as peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor‐¥ã (PPAR‐¥ã). In addition, CNE supplementation in mice fed a HFD revealed that significantly decreased HFD‐induced increases in body and organs weights as compared to the HFD group. These results suggest that CNE can be useful in the treatment of obesity as non‐toxic natural resources.