Safflower Yellow and Its Main Component HSYA Alleviate Diet-Induced Obesity in Mice: Possible Involvement of the Increased Antioxidant Enzymes in Liver and Adipose Tissue.

Kemin Yan,Xin Wang,Hui Pan,Fengying Gong,Huijuan Zhu,Meijuan Liu,Linjie Wang,Hongbo Yang

doi:10.3389/fphar.2020.00482

Abstract

PurposeOxidative stress plays an important role in the pathogenesis of obesity and its associated disorders. Safflower yellow (SY) and hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA), the natural compounds isolated from Carthamus tinctorius L., has been found to possess antioxidative and anti-obesity properties. The purpose of the present study is to investigate whether SY and its main component HSYA alleviate obesity by the antioxidant effects.MethodsDiet-induced obese (DIO) mice were treated with 200 mg/kg/d SY or HSYA for 10 weeks. Body weight, fat mass, serum biochemical parameters and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities were measured. Glucose and insulin tolerance tests were performed. The expression of antioxidant enzymes in liver and adipose tissue were measured. In vitro, H2O2-induced oxidative stress HepG2 cells and 3T3-L1 adipocytes were treated with SY and HSYA to investigate the direct effects of SY and HSYA on the expression of antioxidant enzymes.ResultsSY and HSYA significantly decreased the body weight gain of DIO mice, and decreased fat mass to 57.8% and 61.6% of the control mice, respectively (P < 0.05). The parameters of glucose metabolism and liver function were improved after SY and HSYA treatment. The hepatic SOD activities and the mRNA levels of antioxidant enzymes in liver and adipose tissue of SY and HSYA treated mice were increased (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, the administration of SY and HSYA on the H2O2-induced oxidative stress HepG2 cells and adipocytes also increased the expression of the antioxidant factor and antioxidant enzymes to 1.2~3.3 folds of the control cells (P < 0.05).ConclusionSY and its main component HSYA could significantly decrease the fat mass, and improve glucose metabolism and liver function in diet-induced obese mice. The beneficial effects of SY and HSYA on obesity and metabolism may be associated with the increased expression of antioxidant enzymes in liver and adipose tissue.

Highlights

Obesity is a medical condition which results from the imbalance in energy metabolism, with excessive and abnormal fat accumulates in various organs and tissues
After SY treatment for 10 weeks, the body weight gain, white adipose tissue (WAT) mass and WAT percentage of the diet-induced obese (DIO) mice significantly decreased to 56.8%, 57.8%, and 62.7% of the high-fat diet (HFD)-Saline group (P < 0.05)
After HSYA treatment, the body weight gain, WAT mass, and WAT percentage of the DIO mice remarkably decreased to 28.7%, 61.6%, and 66.3% of the HFDSaline group (P < 0.05)

Summary

Introduction

Obesity is a medical condition which results from the imbalance in energy metabolism, with excessive and abnormal fat accumulates in various organs and tissues. Fat accumulation has been reported to be closely correlated with the markers of systemic oxidative stress in humans and mice (Furukawa et al, 2004). Mainly defined as the imbalance between the oxidative and anti-oxidative systems of the tissues and cells, plays an important role in the pathogenesis of various metabolic diseases (Rani et al, 2016). Oxidative stress in the adipose tissue has been reported to cause dysfunction of adipose tissue, which links to the development of obesity and its associated disorders, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) (Bluher, 2009; Manna and Jain, 2015). In mouse models of inducible insulin resistance and obesity, antioxidant treatment has been reported to protect against diabetes by improving glucose homeostasis and increasing insulin sensitivity (Straub et al, 2019)

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