Ethnopharmacological relevance: The flower of Edgeworthia gardneri (Wall.) Meisn., locally named "Lvluohua, ", has been widely used as Tibetan folk medicine for the treatment of metabolic diseases for a long time.
Aim of this study: To evaluate the anti-adipogenesis effect of ethyl acetate extract of the flower of E. gardneri (EEG extract) in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.
Materials and methods: Obesity-related parameters such as lipid accumulation and TG content were determined by Oil red O staining and enzymatic kit, respectively. Western blotting was used to determine the expressions of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ), CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein-α (C/EBPα), phosphorylated adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC). Moreover, main constituents of EEG extract were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).
Results: EEG extract decreased the lipid and triglyceride (TG) accumulations during the differentiation process and down-regulated the adipogenesis-related transcriptional factors PPARγ and C/EBPα. EEG extract treatment increased AMPK and ACC phosphorylation. In addition, pretreatment with AMPK inhibitor, weakened the inhibitory effects of EEG extract on the expressions of PPARγand C/EBPα. HPLC analysis indicated that tiliroside was the main constituent in EEG extract.
Conclusions: These results suggest that EEG extract may exert anti-adipogenic effects through modulation of the AMPK signaling pathway.
Keywords: 3T3-L1 adipocytes; AMPK; Astragalin (PubChem CID: 5282102); Daphnoretin (PubChem CID: 5281406); Edgeworthia gardneri; Obesity; Tiliroside (PubChem CID: 5320686).
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