Food components with anti-obesity effect

Glucoregulatory Properties of Fermented Soybean Products

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disease, characterized by persistent hyperglycemia, the prevalence of which is on the rise worldwide. Fermented soybean products (FSP) are rich in diverse functional ingredients which have been shown to exhibit therapeutic properties in alleviating hyperglycemia. This review summarizes the hypoglycemic actions of FSP from the perspective of different target-related molecular signaling mechanisms in vitro, in vivo and clinical trials. FSP can ameliorate glucose metabolism disorder by functioning as carbohydrate digestive enzyme inhibitors, facilitating glucose transporter 4 translocation, accelerating muscular glucose utilization, inhibiting hepatic gluconeogenesis, ameliorating pancreatic dysfunction, relieving adipose tissue inflammation, and improving gut microbiota disorder. Sufficiently recognizing and exploiting the hypoglycemic activity of traditional fermented soybean foods could provide a new strategy in the development of the food fermentation industry.

Methanolic fruit extract of Myrica nagi protects the hypothalamus and attenuates inflammation associated with gold thioglucose- and high-fat diet-induced obesity via various adipokines

BACKGROUND

Myrica nagi is popular in unani and ayurveda. Chemical constituents like myricetin isolated from its fruit has been shown to exert beneficial effects against cardiovascular disease, cancer, inflammatory conditions, and metabolic disorders.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to elucidate the anti-obesity effect of the methanolic extract of M. nagi (MEMN) using in vivo animal models of obesity induced by gold thioglucose or a high-fat diet.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The obese mice were treated or untreated with MEMN for 8 weeks. Thereafter, feed intake, Lee index, and body mass index (BMI); biochemical parameters such as lipid profile, liver enzymes and specific biomarkers of obesity, including insulin, leptin, adiponectin, free fatty acids (FFA), monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1, and resistin, were recorded. The weight and histopathology of organs and fat tissue were examined to validate the effectiveness of the extract.

RESULTS

MEMN administration at various doses significantly reduced the induced weight gain, feed intake, BMI, and Lee index. Adipose tissue decreased as the MEMN dose increased. MEMN attenuated liver enzyme activity, decreased lipid, leptin, MCP-1, resistin, and FFA levels, and increased adiponectin levels. It also increased protection of liver cells and decreased accumulation of mesenteric fat.

CONCLUSIONS

MEMN supplementation decreased weight and improved obesity serum/plasma lipid biomarker, insulin, leptin, adiponectin, MCP-1, and resistin levels. The weight-reducing activity of MEMN may be mediated by decreased gastrointestinal fat absorption and modulation of inflammation associated signaling pathways, leading to reduced adipose inflammation associated with energy expenditure.

A comprehensive review on the glucoregulatory properties of food-derived bioactive peptides

Diabetes mellitus, a group of metabolic disorders characterized by persistent hyperglycemia, affects millions of people worldwide and is on the rise. Dietary proteins, from a wide range of food sources, are rich in bioactive peptides with antidiabetic properties. Notable examples include AGFAGDDAPR, a black tea-derived peptide, VRIRLLQRFNKRS, a β-conglycinin-derived peptide, and milk-derived peptide VPP, which have shown antidiabetic effects in diabetic rodent models through variety of pathways including improving beta-cells function, suppression of alpha-cells proliferation, inhibiting food intake, increasing portal cholecystokinin concentration, enhancing insulin signaling and glucose uptake, and ameliorating adipose tissue inflammation. Despite the immense research on glucoregulatory properties of bioactive peptides, incorporation of these bioactive peptides in functional foods or nutraceuticals is widely limited due to the existence of several challenges in the field of peptide research and commercialization. Ongoing research in this field, however, is fundamental to pave the road for this purpose.

3'-Hydroxydaidzein Improves Obesity Through the Induced Browning of Beige Adipose and Modulation of Gut Microbiota in Mice with Obesity Induced by a High-Fat Diet

Obesity is an important health issue nowadays. 3'-Hydroxydaidzein (OHD) is a metabolite of daidzein (DAI) that can be found in fermented soybean products, such as miso. DAI has been known to affect lipid accumulation, but the effect of OHD on lipid accumulation still needs to be investigated. In this study, we investigated the effects of OHD on mice with obesity induced by a high-fat diet (HFD). The results showed that mice treated with 0.1% OHD (HOHD) significantly reduced their body weight and inguinal fat without altering their food intake compared with the HFD group. The HOHD and DAI groups' hyperlipidemia were alleviated through decreased serum triacylglycerols and total cholesterol levels. The adipocyte sizes in inguinal fat were significantly smaller in the HOHD and DAI groups compared with the HFD group. Both the HOHD and DAI groups had increased PRDM16, C/EBP β, p-p38, SIRT1, PGC1 α, and UCP1 protein expression in their inguinal adipose tissue compared with the HFD group. Moreover, the OHD and DAI groups had significantly lower amounts of Lachnospira and GCA_900066225 compared with the HFD group. Collectively, OHD can ameliorate HFD-induced obesity in mice by stimulating the browning of the white adipose tissue and modulating gut microbiota.

A Combination of Apple Vinegar Drink with Bacillus coagulans Ameliorates High Fat Diet-Induced Body Weight Gain, Insulin Resistance and Hepatic Steatosis

Obesity is a worldwide epidemic characterized by excessive fat accumulation, associated with multiple comorbidities and complications. Emerging evidence points to gut microbiome as a driving force in the pathogenesis of obesity. Vinegar intake, a traditional remedy source of exogenous acetate, has been shown to improve glycemic control and to have anti-obesity effects. New functional foods may be developed by supplementing traditional food with probiotics. B. coagulans is a suitable choice because of its resistance to high temperatures. To analyze the possible synergic effect of Vinegar and B. coagulans against the metabolic alterations induced by a high fat diet (HFD), we fed twelve-week-old C57BL/6 mice with HFD for 5 weeks after 2 weeks of acclimation on a normal diet. Then, food intake, body weight, blood biochemical parameters, histology and liver inflammatory markers were analyzed. Although vinegar drink, either alone or supplemented with B. coagulans, reduced food intake, attenuated body weight gain and enhanced glucose tolerance, only the supplemented drink improved the lipid serum profile and prevented hepatic HFD-induced overexpression of CD36, IL-1β, IL-6, LXR and SREBP, thus reducing lipid deposition in the liver. The beneficial properties of the B. coagulans-supplemented vinegar appear to be mediated by a reduction in insulin and leptin circulating levels.

Food Ingredients Involved in White-to-Brown Adipose Tissue Conversion and in Calorie Burning

Obesity is the consequence of chronic positive energy balance and considered a leading risk factor for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Due to its epidemic trends among children and adults, there is an increasing interest in implementing new therapeutic interventions to tackle overweight and obesity. Activation of brown adipose tissue (BAT) represents today a promising strategy to enhance energy expenditure (EE) through heat production. More recently, “browning” of white adipose tissue (WAT) has gained increasing attention in research area as an alternative method in stimulating energy dissipation. This minireview aims to summarize the current knowledge of some dietary compounds that have been shown to promote BAT activation and WAT browning with subsequent beneficial health effects.

Anthocyanins from Cornus kousa ethanolic extract attenuate obesity in association with anti-angiogenic activities in 3T3-L1 cells by down-regulating adipogeneses and lipogenesis

Cornus kousa the Korean dogwood has been traditionally used in East Asia as therapeutic traditional medicine however biological activities of Cornus kousa have not been investigated previously. The aim of the present study was to evaluate anti-obesity activities coupled with anti-angiogenic activities of anthocyanins rich fraction of ethanolic leaf extract of Cornus kousa (ELECk) in HUVECs and 3T3- L1 cells. Dried plants leaves were extracted with 70% ethanol and anthocyanin fraction (AnT Fr) was obtained by eluting the ethanolic extract through non-polar macroporous resin and further purification by HPLC. Antiangiogenic activities were determined by antiproliferative effect of AnT Fr on HUVECs. In the presence of various concentrations of AnT Fr, 3T3-L1 preadipocytes were induced to differentiate. Lipid accumulation in differentiated adipocytes were quantified by Oil-Red O staining. AnT Fr significantly suppressed angiogenesis by inhibiting proliferation and tube formation of HUVECs via downregulating VEGRF 2, PI3K, β-catenin, NF-kB, and Akt1 in a dose dependent manner. AnT Fr inhibited lipid accumulation by down-regulating adipogenesis and lipogenesis promoting signaling proteins, PPARγ, CCAAT, C/EBPα, aP2, FAS, and LPL, however enhanced AMPK activation to p-AMPK in 3T3 cells quantified and expressed by western blotting. AnT Fr inhibit lipid accumulation by regulating adipogenesis and lipogenesis related genes and signaling proteins. The anti-obesity activities exerted by Cornus kousa are associated with antiangiogenic activities of anthocyanins rich fraction of Cornus kousa. Hence the presence of bioactive anthocyanins, Cornus kosa, is a good candidate for nutraceutical and pharmaceutical formulation for treating or controlling obesity.

Gypenosides Reduced the Risk of Overweight and Insulin Resistance in C57BL/6J Mice through Modulating Adipose Thermogenesis and Gut Microbiota

This study investigated whether and how gypenosides from jiaogulan tea at 100 and 300 mg/kg/day levels could reduce the development of overweight and insulin resistance in C57 BL/6J mice fed a high-fat diet in 12 weeks. The 300 mg/kg/day gypenosides supplement significantly reduced final body weight, plasma total cholesterol, and homeostasis model assessment-estimated insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index by 19.9%, 40%, and 36%, respectively, compared with the high-fat diet control group. Gypenosides also increased brown adipocyte tissue activity and white adipose tissue browning. The expression of genes involved in mitochondrial activity and fatty acid β-oxidation were also increased in both brown and white adipocyte tissues. In addition, gypenosides at 100 and 300 mg/kg/day levels decreased the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes by 20% and 58.6%, respectively, and increased Akkermansia muciniphila abundance in the gut microbiota.

Anti-obesity and anti-inflammatory effects of synthetic acetic acid vinegar and Nipa vinegar on high-fat-diet-induced obese mice

Recently, food-based bioactive ingredients, such as vinegar, have been proposed as a potential solution to overcome the global obesity epidemic. Although acetic acid has been identified as the main component in vinegar that contributes to its anti-obesity effect, reports have shown that vinegar produced from different starting materials possess different degrees of bioactivity. This study was performed to compare the anti-obesity and anti-inflammatory effects of synthetic acetic acid vinegar and Nipa vinegar in mice fed a high-fat diet. In this work, mice were fed a high-fat diet for 33 weeks. At the start of week 24, obese mice were orally fed synthetic acetic acid vinegar or Nipa vinegar (0.08 and 2 ml/kg BW) until the end of week 33. Mice fed a standard pellet diet served as a control. Although both synthetic acetic acid vinegar and Nipa vinegar effectively reduced food intake and body weight, a high dose of Nipa vinegar more effectively reduced lipid deposition, improved the serum lipid profile, increased adipokine expression and suppressed inflammation in the obese mice. Thus, a high dose of Nipa vinegar may potentially alleviate obesity by altering the lipid metabolism, inflammation and gut microbe composition in high-fat-diet-induced obese mice.

Myricetin protects against diet-induced obesity and ameliorates oxidative stress in C57BL/6 mice

BACKGROUND

Myricetin is a naturally occurring antioxidant commonly found in various plants. However, little information is available with respect to its direct anti-obesity effects.

OBJECTIVE

This study was undertaken to investigate the effect of myricetin on high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity in C57BL/6 mice.

RESULTS

Administration of myricetin dramatically reduced the body weight of diet-induced obese mice compared with solely HFD-induced mice. Several parameters related to obesity including serum glucose, triglyceride, and cholesterol were significantly decreased in myricetin-treated mice. Moreover, obesity-associated oxidative stress (glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activity, total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), and malondialdehyde (MDA)) and inflammation (tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)) were ameliorated in myricetin-treated mice. Further investigation revealed that the protective effect of myricetin against HFD-induced obesity in mice appeared to be partially mediated through the down-regulation of mRNA expression of adipogenic transcription factors peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein α (C/EBPα), and lipogenic transcription factor sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1c (SREBP-1c).

CONCLUSIONS

Consumption of myricetin may help to prevent obesity and obesity-related metabolic complications.

Anthocyanins from black wolfberry (Lycium ruthenicum Murr.) prevent inflammation and increase fecal fatty acid in diet-induced obese rats

This study aimed to determine whether black wolfberry (Lycium ruthenicumMurr.) anthocyanin (BWA) consumption can alleviate oxidative stress and reduce inflammation in high-fat diet-induced obese male Sprague-Dawley rats.

Anti-obesity effects of resveratrol: comparison between animal models and humans

The prevalence of obesity has increased rapidly during recent years and has reached epidemic proportions. As a result, the scientific community is interested in active biomolecules which are naturally present in plants and foodstuffs and may be useful in body weight management. In recent years, polyphenols have made up one of the most frequently studied groups among these molecules. Numerous studies have been carried out on animals to analyse the potential anti-obesity effects of resveratrol, a non-flavonoid polyphenol, and a general consensus concerning the body-fat-lowering effect of this compound exists. By contrast, studies in humans have been few so far. Moreover, in these studies, the effectiveness of resveratrol is low. The aims of the present review are to summarize the results reported so far on this topic and to justify the differences observed between animals and humans. It seems that the reduced response to resveratrol in humans cannot be attributed to the use of lower doses in humans because the doses that induce body-fat-lowering effects in rodents are in the same range as those used in human studies. With regard to the experimental period length, treatments were longer in animal studies than in human studies. This can be one of the reasons contributing to the reduced responses observed in humans. Moreover, animals used in the reported studies are young while volunteers participating in human studies are adults, suggesting that resveratrol may be more efficient in young individuals. In addition to differences in the experimental designs, metabolic differences between animals and human cannot be discarded.

Traditional Chinese Medicine for Metabolic Syndrome via TCM Pattern Differentiation: Tongue Diagnosis for Predictor

Metabolic syndrome is a morbid condition, which is manifested by central obesity, abnormal glucose tolerance, lipodystrophy, and hypertension. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) clarifies that obesity is classified as phlegm-dampness. It is often accompanied with qi stagnation and blood stasis. One hundred and two overweight adults, who did not receive lipid-lowering drugs, were enrolled for analysis. The exclusion criteria were adults having malignancy disease, DM, and renal disease or who were pregnant or lactating. The study was divided into two groups: metabolic syndrome group (MetS) and nonmetabolic syndrome group (nMetS). The modern tongue analysis and heart rate variability devices for data analysis and Council on Nutrition Appetite Questionnaire (CNAQ) for appetite evaluation were used. Obesity patients with metabolic syndrome obviously have lower CNAQ score. The 6 items of CNAQ between two groups have significant difference in variation (P < 0.001). The nMetS average was above 28 scores (96%) and the MetS was all in 17–28 scores. The tongue appearance showed that MetS group have white coating different from the nMetS group with white and yellow coating (P < 0.05). However the HRV is not different from nMetS group significantly. Our results try to explore the relationship between the TCM pattern, nutrition appetite, and heart rate variability in metabolic syndrome patients.

Raphanus sativus cv. Sango Sprout Juice Decreases Diet-Induced Obesity in Sprague Dawley Rats and Ameliorates Related Disorders

BACKGROUND

Obesity is recognized as a leading global health problem, correlated with an increased risk for several chronic diseases. One strategy for weight control management includes the use of vegetables rich in bioactive compounds to counteract weight gain, improve the antioxidant status and stimulate lipid catabolism.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of Raphanus sativus Sango sprout juice (SSJ), a Brassica extraordinarily rich in anthocyanins (AC) and isothiocyanates (ITCs), in a non-genetic model of obesity (high fat diet-HFD induced).

METHODS

Control groups were fed with HFD or regular diet (RD). After a 10-week period, animals were assigned to experimental units and treated by gavage for 28 days as follows: HFD and RD control groups (rats fed HFD or RD and treated with vehicle only) and HFD-treated groups (rats fed HFD and treated with 15, 75 or 150 mg/kg b.w. of SSJ). Body weight and food consumption were recorded and serum lipid profile was measured (total cholesterol, triglycerides, and non-esterified fatty acids). Hepatic phase-I, phase-II as well as antioxidant enzymatic activities were assessed.

RESULTS

SSJ lowered total cholesterol level, food intake and liver weight compared with HFD rodents. SSJ at medium dose proved effective in reducing body-weight (~19 g reduction). SSJ was effective in up-regulating the antioxidant enzymes catalase,

NAD(P)H

quinone reductase, oxidised glutathione reductase and superoxide dismutase, which reached or exceeded RD levels, as well as the phase II metabolic enzyme UDP-glucuronosyl transferase (up to about 43%). HFD up-regulated almost every cytochrome P450 isoform tested, and a mild down-regulation to baseline was observed after SSJ intervention.

CONCLUSION

This work reveals, for the first time, the antioxidant, hypolipidemic and antiobesity potential of SSJ, suggesting its use as an efficient new functional food/nutraceutical product.

Ammonia-lowering activities and carbamoyl phosphate synthetase 1 (Cps1) induction mechanism of a natural flavonoid

OBJECTIVE

Ammonia detoxification is essential for physiological well-being, and the urea cycle in liver plays a predominant role in ammonia disposal. Nobiletin (NOB), a natural dietary flavonoid, is known to exhibit various physiological efficacies. In the current study, we investigated a potential role of NOB in ammonia control and the underlying cellular mechanism.

MATERIALS/METHODS

C57BL/6 mice were fed with regular chow (RC), high-fat (HFD) or high-protein diet (HPD) and treated with either vehicle or NOB. Serum and/or urine levels of ammonia and urea were measured. Liver expression of genes encoding urea cycle enzymes and C/EBP transcription factors was determined over the circadian cycle. Luciferase reporter assays were carried out to investigate function of CCAAT consensus elements on the carbamoyl phosphate synthetase (Cps1) gene promoter. A circadian clock-deficient mouse mutant, Clock (Δ19/Δ19) , was utilized to examine a requisite role of the circadian clock in mediating NOB induction of Cps1.

RESULTS

NOB was able to lower serum ammonia levels in mice fed with RC, HFD or HPD. Compared with RC, HFD repressed the mRNA and protein expression of Cps1, encoding the rate-limiting enzyme of the urea cycle. Interestingly, NOB rescued CPS1 protein levels under the HFD condition via induction of the transcription factors C/EBPα and C/EBPβ. Expression of other urea cycle genes was also decreased by HFD relative to RC and again restored by NOB to varying degrees, which, in conjunction with Cps1 promoter reporter analysis, suggested a C/EBP-dependent mechanism for the co-induction of urea cycle genes by NOB. In comparison, HPD markedly increased CPS1 levels relative to RC, yet NOB did not further enrich CPS1 to a significant extent. Using the circadian mouse mutant Clock (Δ19/Δ19) , we also showed that a functional circadian clock, known to modulate C/EBP and CPS1 expression, was required for NOB induction of CPS1 under the HFD condition.

CONCLUSION

NOB, a dietary flavonoid, exhibits a broad activity in ammonia control across varying diets, and regulates urea cycle function via C/EBP-and clock-dependent regulatory mechanisms.

Reduced-fat foods: the complex science of developing diet-based strategies for tackling overweight and obesity

Fat plays multiple roles in determining the desirable physicochemical properties, sensory attributes, nutritional profile, and biologic response of food products. Overconsumption of fats is linked to chronic diseases, such as obesity, coronary heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. There is therefore a need to develop reduced-fat products with physicochemical properties and sensory profiles that match those of their full-fat counterparts. In addition, foods may be redesigned to increase the feelings of satiety and satiation, and thereby reduce overall food intake. The successful design of these types of functional foods requires a good understanding of the numerous roles that fat plays in determining food attributes and the development of effective strategies to replace these attributes. This article provides an overview of the current understanding of the influence of fat on the physicochemical and physiologic attributes of emulsion-based food products and highlights approaches to create high-quality foods with reduced-fat contents.

Sea cucumber and blue mussel: new sources of phospholipid enriched omega-3 fatty acids with a potential role in 3T3-L1 adipocyte metabolism

Sea cucumber and blue mussel methanolic extracts are enriched inn-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids structured in the phospholipid form, which increases adipogenesis and decreases lipogenesis in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

Inhibitory Effects of Ethyl Acetate-Soluble Fraction from Morus alba on Lipid Accumulation in 3T3-L1 Cells

Fruits of mulberry ( Morus alba) have been widely used for therapeutic purposes in Asian countries for centuries. Treatment of 3T3-L1 cells with ethanolic extracts of M. alba decreased adipocyte differentiation at 100 μg/mL by 18.6%. Treatment suppressed mRNA levels of PPARγ and C/EBPα expression in 3T3-L1 cells. However, the extract did not change free glycerol release from mature adipocytes. Thus, M. alba inhibited lipid accumulation by regulating transcription factors in 3T3-L1 adipocytes without a lipolytic effect. Among the soluble- fractions, the ethyl acetate-soluble fraction had the highest anti-adipogenic effects on 3T3-L1 cells. This fraction decreasing intracellular lipid accumulation by 38.5% in response to treatment with 100 μg/mL. In addition, HPLC analysis of the ethyl acetate-soluble fraction of M. alba contained 167.7 μM of protocatechulic acid in 1 mg/mL of fraction, which inhibited lipid accumulation by 44.8% in response to treatment with 100 μM. From these results, M. alba is a possible candidate for regulating lipid accumulation in obesity.

Blueberry and mulberry juice prevent obesity development in C57BL/6 mice

Objectives

To establish whether blueberry (Vaccinium ashei) and mulberry (Morus australis Poir) juice, anthocyanin rich fruit juice, may help counteract obesity.

Design

And Methods: Four-week-old C57BL/6 mice were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) with or without blueberry and mulberry juice for 12 weeks. Body weight, serum and hepatic lipids, liver and adipose tissues morphology, insulin and leptin were assessed.

Results

Mice fed HFD exhibited increased body weight, insulin resistance, serum and hepatic lipids. In comparison, blueberry and mulberry juice inhibited body weight gain, decreased the serum cholesterol, reduced the resistance to insulin, attenuated lipid accumulation and decreased the leptin secretin.

Conclusion

These results indicate that blueberry and mulberry juice may help counteract obesity.