Anti-Obesity Effects of Ecklonia cava Extract in High-Fat Diet-Induced Obese Rats

Oat-based postbiotics ameliorate high-sucrose induced liver injury and colitis susceptibility by modulating fatty acids metabolism and gut microbiota

High-sucrose (HS) consumption leads to metabolic disorders and increases susceptibility to colitis. Postbiotics hold great potentials in combating metabolic diseases and offer advantages in safety and processability, compared with living probiotics. We developed innovative oat-based postbiotics and extensively explored how they could benefit in rats with long-term high-sucrose consumption. The postbiotics fermented with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (OF-1) and OF-5, the one fermented with the optimal selection of five probiotics (i.e., L. plantarum, Limosilactobacillus reuteri, Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus acidophilus, and Bifidobacterium lactis) alleviated HS induced liver injury, impaired fatty acid metabolism and inflammation through activating AMPK/SREBP-1c pathways. Moreover, oat-based postbiotics restored detrimental effects of HS on fatty acid profiles in liver, as evidenced by the increases in polyunsaturated fatty acids and decreases in saturated fatty acids, with OF-5 showing most pronounced effects. Furthermore, oat-based postbiotics prevented HS exacerbated susceptibility to dextran sodium sulfate caused colitis and reconstructed epithelial tight junction proteins in colons. Oat-based postbiotics, in particular OF-5 notably remodeled gut microbiota composition, e.g., enriching the relative abundances of Akkermansia, Bifidobacterium, Alloprevotella and Prevotella, which may play an important role in the liver-colon axis responsible for improvements of liver functions and reduction of colitis susceptibility. The heat-inactivated probiotics protected against HS-induced liver and colon damage, but such effects were less pronounced compared with oat-based postbiotics. Our findings emphasize the great value of oat-based postbiotics as nutritional therapeutics to combat unhealthy diet induced metabolic dysfunctions.

HDL-C/LDL-C and Risk of Cerebral White Matter Hyperintensities: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background and Purpose

At present, there is still a lack of metabolic indices to predict white matter hyperintensities. This study aimed to explore the correlations of the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C)/low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) ratio with the risk of white matter hyperintensities.

Methods

Hospitalized patients who underwent inpatient treatment or physical examination due to various chronic diseases between January 18, 2018, and March 20, 2023, were enrolled. Fazekas scores were used to assess the severity of white matter hyperintensities. Logistic regression analysis was used to adjust for possible confounders.

Results

Of the 1162 enrolled patients, 770 (66.27%) patients were classified as having no or mild WMHs, and 392 (33.73%) were classified as having moderate or severe WMHs. After adjusting for covariates, the logistic regression analysis indicated that the ratio of HDL-C to LDL-C was related to the severity of WMHs (Model 1, OR = 0.23, 95% CI: 0.07-0.73, P=0.012; Model 2, OR = 2.03, 95% CI: 1.12-3.67, P=0.019).

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that the ratio of HDL-C to LDL-C is related to the severity of WMHs and that a high ratio of HDL-C to LDL-C is a protective factor against WMHs. This suggests that the ratio of HDL-C to LDL-C could be used as a metabolic prediction index of WMH severity.

Tuberostemonine alleviates high-fat diet-induced obesity and hepatic steatosis by increasing energy consumption

Obesity is of public concern worldwide, and it increases the probability of developing a number of comorbid diseases, including NAFLD. Recent research on obesity drugs and health demands have shown the potential of natural plant extracts for preventing and treating obesity and their lack of toxicity and treatment-related side effects. We have demonstrated that tuberostemonine (TS), an alkaloid extracted from the traditional Chinese medicine Stemona tuberosa Lour can inhibit intracellular fat deposition, reduce oxidative stress, increase cellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and increase mitochondrial membrane potential. It effectively reduced weight gain and fat accumulation caused by a high-fat diet, and regulated liver function and blood lipid levels. Moreover, it regulate glucose metabolism and improved energy metabolism in mice. TS also decreased high-fat diet-induced obesity and improved lipid and glucose metabolism disorders in mice, with no significant side effects. In conclusion, TS was shown to be a safe alternative for obese patients and might be developed as an antiobesity and anti-nonalcoholic fatty liver drug.

Anti-Obesity Actions of Two Separated Aqueous Extracts From Arbutus (Arbutus unedo) and Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) Fruits Against High-Fat Diet in Rats via Potent Antioxidant Target

Arbutus unedo and Crataegus monogyna are widely distributed throughout the Mediterranean basin and commonly used in folk medicine against a wide range of diseases. Therefore, the present study has been designed to evaluate the anti-obesity potential of two aqueous extracts of the fruits of A. unedo (AUAE) and C. monogyna (CMAE). Male Wistar rats were supplied with a standard diet (SD), high-fat diet (HFD), HFD with the two separated extracts at the same dose (300 mg/kg, BW, p. o.), or HFD with atorvastatin-(ATOR) (2.1 mg/kg, BW, p. o.) for 12 weeks. Lipid profile and the liver and kidney linked-markers were assessed. Besides, obesity-related disorders' biomarkers were measured. AUAE, CMAE, and ATOR were observed to reduce significantly total body and organ weights following HFD-induced obese rat models. Likewise, epididymal and abdominal adipose tissue weights were noticeably decreased in HFD rats treated with both extracts and ATOR. Added to that, biochemical and metabolic changes were normalized by significant attenuation of lipid peroxidation accompanied with an increase of thiol-group concentrations and antioxidant status. More importantly, a modulation in trace element levels was revealed when compared with HFD group. Altogether, current study concluded that AUAE and CMAE could be potential candidates for the prevention and treatment of obesity and related disturbs induced by HFD.

Scytosiphon lomentaria Extract Ameliorates Obesity and Modulates Gut Microbiota in High-Fat-Diet-Fed Mice

Scytosiphon lomentaria (SL) is a brown seaweed with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties; however, its effects on obesity are unknown. In this research, we investigated the anti-obesity properties and underlying mechanisms of the SL extract in vitro and in vivo. In 3T3-L1 preadipocytes, SL extract inhibited lipid accumulation, decreased the expression of Acc1, C/ebpa, Pparg mRNA and p-ACC1, and increased the expression of Ucp1 mRNA, UCP1 and p-AMPK. In animal experiments, mice were fed a chow diet, a high-fat diet (HF; 60% of calories as fat), and high-fat diet with SL extract (150 and 300 mg/kg body weight) for eight weeks (n = 10/group). SL extract reduced HF-induced weight gain, epididymal fat weight, fat cell size, LDL-C, leptin, fasting glucose, and glucose tolerance. In addition, SL extract had comparable effects on mRNA expression in WAT and liver to those observed in vitro, thereby inhibiting p-ACC1/ACC1 and increasing p-AMPK/AMPK and UCP1 expression. Furthermore, SL extract decreased HF-induced Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio and reversed HF-reduced Bacteroides spp., Bacteroides vulgatus, and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii. These findings suggest that SL extract can aid in weight loss in mice fed a high-fat diet by altering adipogenic and thermogenic pathways, as well as gut microbiota composition.

Anti-atherogenic and cardio-protective properties of sweet melon (Cucumis melo. L. Inodorus) seed extract on high fat diet induced obesity in male wistar rats

BACKGROUND

Cucumis melon is a medicinal plant with multiple pharmacological properties such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and diuretic effects. An increasing body of scientific evidence established the anti-diabetic/anti-obesity effects of Cucumis melo in humans, mice, and hamster models. However, there are no tangible reports on its ability to prevent cardiovascular complications following diet-induced obesity. The anti-atherogenic and cardioprotective effects of the Methanolic extract of Cucumis melo. L. Inodorus seeds on a high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese rats was assessed in this study.  METHODS: Forty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups, (n = 8/group); i.e., Normal (N), HFD, HFD + 50 mg/kg b.w. of MCMs (Methanolic extract of Cucumis melon seeds), HFD + 100 mg/Kg b.w. of MCMs and HFD + 200 mg/kg b.w. of MCMs. The experimental animals were anaesthetized and sacrificed after 10 weeks, and blood samples and heart tissue were collected for further analysis. Using the Graph Pad Prism version 5.0, the results expressed as Mean ± SD was tested using the one-way ANOVA to show intergroup differences, followed by Bonferonni 's post hoc test. The level of significance was determined at P ≤ 0.05.

RESULTS

MCMs significantly (P < 0.05) reduced body weight, adiposity index, total fat mass, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), and total cholesterol (TC) compared with the HFD obese groups MCMs caused a significant reduction in the body weight, total fat mass, adiposity index, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), and total cholesterol (TC) when compared to the animals in HFD obese groups. Also, the Atherogenic index of plasma (AIP), Castelli index and, malondialdehyde (MDA) significantly (P < 0.05) decreased in MCMs treated groups compared to the HFD obese group. The catalase, protein, and HDL levels were significantly increased in MCMs treated groups compared to HFD-obese animals. Expression of nitric oxide in the form of nitrite in the heart tissue significantly increased in the MCMs treated compared to the HFD-obese rats, with the majority of the positive results recorded at 100 mg/Kg b.w. of MCMs.

CONCLUSIONS

MCMs have anti-atherogenic and Cardio-protective properties on High Fat Diet-Induced Obesity in Male rats via an antioxidant and nitric oxide-dependent mechanism. Further study is recommended to evaluate the molecular mechanisms to which these anti-atherogenic and cardio-protective actions can be attributed and exploit the GCMS result in the development of drug candidates.

Ethanolic extract of root from Arctium lappa L ameliorates obesity and hepatic steatosis in rats by regulating the AMPK/ACC/CPT-1 pathway

Burdock (Arctium lappa L) root is eaten as a vegetable in many countries and used as an ethnomedicine because of its various pharmacological effects. The objective of this study was to investigate the underlying mechanisms of ethanolic extract of root from Arctium lappa L root (ALE) to lose weight and regulate lipid metabolism. The results showed that ALE can regulate lipid metabolism level and inhibit the weight gain of rats induced by the high-sugar and high-fat diet. The contents of triglyceride and cholesterol in the liver of obese rats significantly reduced, and hepatic steatosis was ameliorated. In addition, this study identified that ALE enhanced hepatic fatty acid β-oxidation and ameliorated hepatic steatosis by activating AMPK/ACC/CPT-1 pathway. These results indicated that ALE has a potential preventive and therapeutic effect on metabolic-associated fatty liver disease and obesity. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Obesity is already a global health problem. Obesity causes accumulation of triglycerides, which leads to hepatic steatosis. Long-term steatosis causes liver damage and metabolic fatty liver disease. Plant-derived functional foods or herbal medicines have better effects on weight loss and liver protection, which are more conducive to long-term use with less toxic side effects. As a medicinal and edible plant material, Arctium lappa L root has the effect in losing weight. Our study showed that ethanolic extract of Arctium lappa L root effectively regulates lipid metabolism and inhibits hepatic steatosis. Arctium lappa L root may be used as a therapeutic drug and functional food raw material for obesity and fatty liver disease.

Microbiota modulation and anti-obesity effects of fermented Pyrus ussuriensis Maxim extract against high-fat diet-induced obesity in rats

Pyrus ussuriensis Maxim (Korean pear) has been used for hundreds of years as a traditional herbal medicine due to its strong phytochemical profile and pharmacological efficacy. In this study, we evaluated the anti-obesity potential of Pyrus ussuriensis Maxim extracts (PUE) and investigated the underlying mechanisms using a combination of in vitro, in vivo, and microbiota regulation approaches. In an adipogenesis assay, the fermented (F)PUE and non-fermented (NF)PUE significantly reduced the differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocyte in a dose-dependent manner with an IC₅₀ of 85.33 and 96.67 µg/mL, respectively. In a high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese rat model (n = 8 animals/group), oral administration of FPUE additionally reduced the total body weight gain significantly. No difference in food intake was observed, however, between the control-chow diet, FPUE, and NFPUE-treated HFD rats. Adipose tissue mass and systemic insulin resistance were markedly reduced in FPUE-treated HFD rats, in a dose-dependent manner. Treatment with FPUE also greatly improved obesity-related biomarkers, including total cholesterol, leptin, active ghrelin, Total GIP, adiponectin, and proinflammatory cytokines. Moreover, FPUE significantly suppressed HFD-induced adipogenic genes expression, while increasing fatty acid oxidation-related genes expression. Additionally, FPUE treatment attenuated the HFD-induced Firmicutes proportion within the intestinal microbiota by regulating key metabolic pathways, thus enhancing microbial population diversity (e.g., increasing Bacteroides, Bifidobacterium, Prevotella, Eubacterium, and Clostridium). Together, these results reveal a strong anti-obesity potential of FPUE through adipogenesis, lipid metabolism, weight reduction, and microbiota regulation, raising the possibility of developing FPUE as a novel therapeutic agent to control obesity and obesity-associated metabolic disorders.

Characterization of Plocamium telfairiae Extract-Functionalized Au Nanostructures and Their Anti-Adipogenic Activity through PLD1

Here, Au nanostructure (AuNS) biosynthesis was mediated through ethanolic extract of Plocamium telfairiae (PT) without the use of stabilizers or surfactants. PT-functionalized AuNSs (PT-AuNSs) were analyzed using ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Stable monodisperse PT-AuNSs were synthesized, with a mean size of 15.36 ± 0.10 nm and zeta potential of −35.85 ± 1.36 mV. Moreover, biosynthetic AuNPs with a face-centered structure of PT-AuNS exhibited crystalline characteristics. In addition, many functional groups playing important roles in the biological reduction of PT extracts were adsorbed on the surface of PT-AuNSs. Furthermore, the effects of PT-AuNSs on adipogenesis in immature adipocytes were investigated. PT-AuNSs reduced morphological changes, lowered triglyceride content, and increased lipid accumulation by approximately 78.6% in immature adipocytes compared with the values in mature adipocytes (MDI-induced). PT-AuNS suppressed lipid accumulation by downregulating the transcript and protein expression of C/EBPα, PPARγ, SREBP 1, FAS, and aP2. Finally, PT-AuNS induced the transcript and protein expression of UCP1, PRDM16, and PGC1a, thereby increasing mitochondrial biogenesis in mature adipocytes and effectively inducing brown adipogenesis. In this study, the biosynthesized PT-AuNS was used as a potential therapeutic candidate because it conferred a potent anti-lipogenic effect. As a result, it can be used in various scientific fields such as medicine and the environment.