Perilla frutescens var acuta inhibits differentiation of 3T3‐L1 preadipocytes by downregulation of lipogenic pathway

Abstract

Condiments are substances which are used to add flavors in foods and they have also been used in traditional medicines in various parts of the world. Perilla is one of the widely used condiments in Asian countries including China, Japan and South Korea. Previous studies reported that Perilla frutescens var britton (Green perilla) have antioxidant, antiallergic, antiobesity and neuroprotective effects. This study aimed to investigate the effect of Perilla frutescens var acuta (purple perilla) leaves on differentiation of 3T3‐L1 preadipocytes. The sample did not show any cytotoxicity. After inducing differentiation, with or without different concentrations of the sample for a period of eight days, the cells were extracted for quantification of triglycerides and mRNA expression of adipogenic transcription factors and enzymes. Treatment with perilla extract reduced the triglyceride accumulation dose dependently which was evident from the TG quantification as well as Oil Red O staining of lipid droplets. The mRNA expressions of transcription factors like PPARγ, C/EBPα and lipogenic enzymes like ACC, FAS, aP2 were significantly reduced in treated cells. GPDH activity assay also showed similar results. In conclusion, the results of this study elucidated that perilla leaf extract prevents accumulation of lipid and differentiation of 3T3‐L1 preadipocytes by downregulation of lipogenic pathway. Further studies are to be conducted to find the potential antiobesity effect of purple perilla on rodents.Support or Funding Information[This research was financially supported by the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy (MOTIE), Korea, under the “Regional Specialized Industry Development Program” supervised by the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (KIAT)]