Abstract
In recent years, food ingredients rich in bioactive compounds have emerged as candidates to prevent excess adiposity and other metabolic complications characteristic of obesity, such as low-grade inflammation and oxidative status. Among them, fungi have gained popularity for their high polysaccharide content and other bioactive components with beneficial activities. Here, we use the C. elegans model to investigate the potential activities of a Grifola frondosa extract (GE), together with the underlying mechanisms of action. Our study revealed that GE represents an important source of polysaccharides and phenolic compounds with in vitro antioxidant activity. Treatment with our GE extract, which was found to be nongenotoxic through a SOS/umu test, significantly reduced the fat content of C. elegans, decreased the production of intracellular ROS and aging–lipofuscin pigment, and increased the lifespan of nematodes. Gene expression and mutant analyses demonstrated that the in vivo anti-obesity and antioxidant activities of GE were mediated through the daf-2/daf-16 and skn-1/nrf-2 signalling pathways, respectively. Taken together, our results suggest that our GE extract could be considered a potential functional ingredient for the prevention of obesity-related disturbances.
Highlights
Obesity and other metabolic syndrome-related diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension, are dramatically increasing worldwide, contributing to significantly increased healthcare spending in every country [1]
We evaluate the anti-obesity, antioxidant, and anti-aging activities of a Grifola frondosa extract (GE) rich in phenolic compounds, using an in vivo model of C. elegans
The regulatory pathways of energy homeostasis are highly conserved between C. elegans and mammals, making this nematode a powerful model for exploring the genetic bases of fatty acid synthesis and the regulation of fat storage
Summary
Obesity and other metabolic syndrome-related diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension, are dramatically increasing worldwide, contributing to significantly increased healthcare spending in every country [1]. Different groups have focused their efforts on the identification of bioactive compounds found in different food ingredients whose incorporation in the diet might exert beneficial properties in terms of the prevention and/or treatment of these obesity-related disturbances [4]. In this context, numerous studies have reported the antioxidant, anti-obesity, and anti-aging activities of different bioactive compounds (BACs), including phenolic compounds and poly- and monounsaturated fatty acids [5–7]. Different in vitro and in vivo models have been used to screen the ability of these BACs to regulate lipid and carbohydrate metabolism, together with the characterization of the mechanisms underlying these effects [8–10]
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