The isoflavone-rich fraction of the crude extract of the Puerariae flower increases oxygen consumption and BAT UCP1 expression in high-fat diet-fed mice

Oriental traditional herbal Medicine--Puerariae Flos: A systematic review

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Pueraria Flos (PF), a traditional herbal medicine, is botanically from the dried flowers of Pueraria lobate (Willd.) Ohwi. (Chinese: ) or Pueraria thomsonii Benth. (Chinese: ). It has a long history of thousands of years in China for awakening the spleen, clearing the lungs, relieving alcohol.

AIM OF THE REVIEW

This review aims to report the up-to-date research progress in ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology, metabolism and therapeutic application of PF, so as to provide a strong basis for future clinical treatment and scientific research.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Relevant information on PF was collected from scientific literature databases including PubMed, CNKI and other literature sources (Ph.D. and M.Sc. dissertations and Chinese herbal classic books) by using the keyword "Puerariae".

RESULTS

Briefly, phytochemical research report has isolated 39 flavonoids, 19 saponins and 25 volatile oils from PF. Flavonoids and saponins are the most important bioactive compounds, and most of the quality control studies focus on these two types of compounds. Modern pharmacological studies have revealed their significant biological activities in relieving alcoholism, hepatoprotective, anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidation, which provides theoretical support for the traditional use.

CONCLUSIONS

Comprehensive analysis showed that pharmacological activity of most purified compounds from PF had not been reported. Kakkalide, tectoridin and their deglycosylated metabolites (irisolidone and tectorigenin) has been focused on excessively due to their higher content and better activities. This leads to low development and resources waste. Interestingly, PF made a breakthrough in the field of food. Many kinds of fat-lowering foods such as PILLBOX Onaka have been popular in Japan market, which received extensive attention. Therefore, we suggest that future research can be paid attention on the development of the plant's function in the field of food and medicine, as well as the transformation from experimental to clinical.

Food phenolics stimulate adipocyte browning via regulating gut microecology

Fat browning has piqued the interest of researchers as a potential target for treating obesity and related metabolic disorders. Recruitment of brown adipocytes leads to enhanced energy dissipation and reduced adiposity, thus facilitating the maintenance of metabolic homeostasis. Evidence is increasing to support the crucial roles of polyphenols and gut microecology in turning fat "brown". However, it is not clear whether the intestinal microecology is involved in polyphenol-mediated regulation of adipose browning, so this concept is worthy of exploration. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge, mostly from studies with murine models, supporting the concept that the effects of food phenolics on brown fat activation and white fat browning can be attributed to their regulatory actions on gut microecology, including microbial community profile, gut metabolites, and gut-derived hormones. Furthermore, the potential underlying pathways involved are also discussed. Basically, understanding gut microecology paves the way to determine the underlying roles and mechanisms of food phenolics in adipose browning.

Efficacy and Safety of Kudzu Flower-Mandarin Peel on Hot Flashes and Bone Markers in Women during the Menopausal Transition: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This randomized controlled study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of an extract mixture of kudzu flower and mandarin peel (KM) on hot flashes (HFs) and markers of bone turnover in women during the menopausal transition. Healthy women aged 45–60 years with the menopausal HFs were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either KM (1150 mg/day) or placebo arms for 12 weeks (n = 84). The intent-to-treat analysis found that compared with the placebo, the KM significantly attenuated HF scores (p = 0.041) and HF severities (p < 0.001), with a mean difference from baseline to week 12. The KM also improved bone turnover markers, showing a significant reduction in bone resorption CTx (p = 0.027) and a tendency of increasing bone formation OC relative to the placebo. No serious adverse events and hormonal changes were observed in both groups. These findings suggest that KM consumption may improve the quality of life in ways that are important to symptomatic menopausal women.

Feeding brown fat: dietary phytochemicals targeting non-shivering thermogenesis to control body weight

Excessive adipose accumulation, which is the main driver for the development of secondary metabolic complications, has reached epidemic proportions and combined pharmaceutical, educational and nutritional approaches are required to reverse the current rise in global obesity prevalence rates. Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is a unique organ able to dissipate energy and thus a promising target to enhance BMR to counteract a positive energy balance. In addition, active BAT might support body weight maintenance after weight loss to prevent/reduce relapse. Natural products deliver valuable bioactive compounds that have historically helped to alleviate disease symptoms. Interest in recent years has focused on identifying nutritional constituents that are able to induce BAT activity and thereby enhance energy expenditure. This review provides a summary of selected dietary phytochemicals, including isoflavones, catechins, stilbenes, the flavonoids quercetin, luteolin and resveratrol as well as the alkaloids berberine and capsaicin. Most of the discussed phytochemicals act through distinct molecular pathways e.g. sympathetic nerve activation, AMP-kinase signalling, SIRT1 activity or stimulation of oestrogen receptors. Thus, it might be possible to utilise this multitude of pathways to co-activate BAT using a fine-tuned combination of foods or combined nutritional supplements.

Puerariae lobatae root extracts and the regulation of brown fat activity

BACKGROUND

Obesity is one of the major health problems worldwide. The induction of brown adipocyte formation and activity represents a promising therapeutic option by increasing energy expenditure. Asian herbs have the potential to treat obesity, however, pharmacological effects should be well documented at the molecular level first.

HYPOTHESIS

A novel hypothesis-driven screening approach identified the root of Pueraria montana var. lobata (Willd.) Sanjappa & Pradeep (PLR) to have potential effects on obesity by stimulating brown adipocytes.

STUDY DESIGN

This study explored the metabolic effects of PLR water extract (PLRE) in a high-fat diet-induced obesity mouse model and characterized its secondary metabolite composition.

METHODS

Animals were orally treated daily for two weeks and the bioactivity of PLRE evaluated by measuring various parameters including body weight, circulating metabolites, energy expenditure and insulin sensitivity. The chemical composition of the mains components was obtained by HPLC-MS-ELSD-PDA. Based on the dereplication results and semi-quantitative estimation, pure molecules were selected for tests on adipocytes in vitro.

RESULTS

PLRE induces brown adipocyte activity and triggers the formation of brown-like cells in inguinal fat tissue, weight loss, and improved glucose metabolism. These effects are primarily caused by cell-autonomous activation of brown adipocytes and not by autonomic nervous system regulation. Even though the analysis of PLRE revealed puerarin as the most abundant secondary metabolite, it showed no effect on brown adipocyte formation and function. Brown adipocyte activity was induced dose-dependently by two other isoflavones, daidzein, and genistein. Daidzein is present in a very small amount in PLRE, but various glycosidic isoflavones, including puerarin, may release daidzein after metabolism.

CONCLUSION

This approach demonstrated the positive effects of PLRE on a diet-induced obesity mouse model and provided clues on the mode of action of PLRE at the molecular level.

Programming mediated by fatty acids affects uncoupling protein 1 (UCP-1) in brown adipose tissue

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) has recently been given more attention for the part it plays in obesity. BAT can generate great amounts of heat through thermogenesis by the activation of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP-1), which can be regulated by many environmental factors such as diet. Moreover, the build-up of BAT relates to maternal nutritional changes during pregnancy and lactation. However, at present, there is a limited number of studies looking at maternal nutrition and BAT development, and it seems that the research trend in this field has been considerably declining since the 1980s. There is much to discover yet about the role of different fatty acids on the development of BAT and the activation of UCP-1 during the fetal and the postnatal periods of life. A better understanding of the impact of nutritional intervention on the epigenetic regulation of BAT could lead to new preventive care for metabolic diseases such as obesity. It is important to know in which circumstances lipids could programme BAT during pregnancy and lactation. The modification of maternal dietary fatty acids, amount and composition, during pregnancy and lactation might be a promising strategy for the prevention of obesity in the offspring and future generations.

Flavonoids as inducers of white adipose tissue browning and thermogenesis: signalling pathways and molecular triggers

Background

Flavonoids are a class of plant and fungus secondary metabolites and are the most common group of polyphenolic compounds in the human diet. In recent studies, flavonoids have been shown to induce browning of white adipocytes, increase energy consumption, inhibit high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity and improve metabolic status. Promoting the activity of brown adipose tissue (BAT) and inducing white adipose tissue (WAT) browning are promising means to increase energy expenditure and improve glucose and lipid metabolism. This review summarizes recent advances in the knowledge of flavonoid compounds and their metabolites.

Methods

We searched the following databases for all research related to flavonoids and WAT browning published through March 2019: PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Web of Science. All included studies are summarized and listed in Table 1.

Result

We summarized the effects of flavonoids on fat metabolism and the specific underlying mechanisms in sub-categories. Flavonoids activated the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), promoted the release of adrenaline and thyroid hormones to increase thermogenesis and induced WAT browning through the AMPK-PGC-1α/Sirt1 and PPAR signalling pathways. Flavonoids may also promote brown preadipocyte differentiation, inhibit apoptosis and produce inflammatory factors in BAT.

Conclusion

Flavonoids induced WAT browning and activated BAT to increase energy consumption and non-shivering thermogenesis, thus inhibiting weight gain and preventing metabolic diseases.

Safety and Efficacy Assessment of Isoflavones from Pueraria (Kudzu) Flower Extract in Ovariectomised Mice: A Comparison with Soy Isoflavones

Numerous Foods with Function Claims that contain the extract of Pueraria flower (kudzu) isoflavones (PFI) are available in the Japanese market. These are labelled with function claims of reducing visceral fat. However, these foods have not undergone proper safety assessment such as the evaluation of their oestrogenic activity and effects on drug-metabolising enzymes (cytochrome P-450: CYP) in the liver. This study evaluated the estrogenic effect and the hepatic CYP activity and mRNA expression in normal female mice as a safety assessment of PFI (Experiment 1). In addition, the bone mineral density and visceral fat weight in ovariectomised mice (OVX) compared to soy isoflavones (SI) was evaluated to assess the efficacy of PFI (Experiment 2). OVX control fed a control diet, OVX fed a PFI diet (the recommended human intake of PFI), OVX fed a PFI20 diet (20- times the recommended PFI), OVX fed an SI diet (the recommended human intake of SI), and OVX fed an SI20 diet (20 -times the recommended intake of SI) for 28 days in Experiment 2. Body, liver, and visceral fat weights were not affected by the PFI, PFI20, SI, or SI20 diets. The hepatic CYP1A and CYP3A activities were elevated by the SI20 treatment. Ovariectomy-induced bone loss was inhibited by the SI20 treatment, but not by the PFI20 treatment. These results suggest that (1) PFI intake in human doses had no oestrogenic properties and did not affect CYP activity in the liver; (2) there was no evidence that PFI affects the amount of visceral fat in OVX mice.

Flavonoids, Potential Bioactive Compounds, and Non-Shivering Thermogenesis

Obesity results from the body having either high energy intake or low energy expenditure. Based on this energy equation, scientists have focused on increasing energy expenditure to prevent abnormal fat accumulation. Activating the human thermogenic system that regulates body temperature, particularly non-shivering thermogenesis in either brown or white adipose tissue, has been suggested as a promising solution to increase energy expenditure. Together with the increasing interest in understanding the mechanism by which plant-derived dietary compounds prevent obesity, flavonoids were recently shown to have the potential to regulate non-shivering thermogenesis. In this article, we review the latest research on flavonoid derivatives that increase energy expenditure through non-shivering thermogenesis.

Metabolic programming of a beige adipocyte phenotype by genistein

SCOPE

Promoting the development of brown or beige adipose tissue may protect against obesity and related metabolic features, and potentially underlies protective effects of genistein in mice.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We observed that application of genistein to 3T3-L1 adipocytes changed the lipid distribution from large droplets to a multilocular distribution, reduced mRNAs indicative of white adipocytes (ACC, Fasn, Fabp4, HSL, chemerin, and resistin) and increased mRNAs that are a characteristic feature of brown/beige adipocytes (CD-137 and UCP1). Transcripts with a role in adipocyte differentiation (Cebpβ, Pgc1α, Sirt1) peaked at different times after application of genistein. These responses were not affected by the estrogen receptor (ER) antagonist fulvestrant, revealing that this action of genistein is not through the classical ER pathway. The Sirt1 inhibitor Ex-527 curtailed the genistein-mediated increase in UCP1 and Cebpβ mRNA, revealing a role for Sirt1 in mediating the effect. Baseline oxygen consumption and the proportional contribution of proton leak to maximal respiratory capacity was greater for cells exposed to genistein, demonstrating greater mitochondrial uncoupling.

CONCLUSIONS

We conclude that genistein acts directly on adipocytes or on adipocyte progenitor cells to programme the cells metabolically to adopt features of beige adipocytes. Thus, this natural dietary agent may protect against obesity and related metabolic disease.

Red Cabbage Microgreens Lower Circulating Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL), Liver Cholesterol, and Inflammatory Cytokines in Mice Fed a High-Fat Diet

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the United States, and hypercholesterolemia is a major risk factor. Population studies, as well as animal and intervention studies, support the consumption of a variety of vegetables as a means to reduce CVD risk through modulation of hypercholesterolemia. Microgreens of a variety of vegetables and herbs have been reported to be more nutrient dense compared to their mature counterparts. However, little is known about the effectiveness of microgreens in affecting lipid and cholesterol levels. The present study used a rodent diet-induced obesity (DIO) model to address this question. C57BL/6NCr mice (n = 60, male, 5 weeks old) were randomly assigned to six feeding groups: (1) low-fat diet; (2) high-fat diet; (3) low-fat diet + 1.09% red cabbage microgreens; (4) low-fat diet + 1.66% mature red cabbage; (5) high-fat diet + 1.09% red cabbage microgreens; (6) high-fat diet + 1.66% mature red cabbage. The animals were on their respective diets for 8 weeks. We found microgreen supplementation attenuated high-fat diet induced weight gain. Moreover, supplementation with microgreens significantly lowered circulating LDL levels in animals fed the high-fat diet and reduced hepatic cholesterol ester, triacylglycerol levels, and expression of inflammatory cytokines in the liver. These data suggest that microgreens can modulate weight gain and cholesterol metabolism and may protect against CVD by preventing hypercholesterolemia.

A Review of Natural Stimulant and Non-stimulant Thermogenic Agents

Obesity and overweight are major health issues. Exercise and calorie intake control are recognized as the primary mechanisms for addressing excess body weight. Naturally occurring thermogenic plant constituents offer adjunct means for assisting in weight management. The controlling mechanisms for thermogenesis offer many intervention points. Thermogenic agents can act through stimulation of the central nervous system with associated adverse cardiovascular effects and through metabolic mechanisms that are non-stimulatory or a combination thereof. Examples of stimulatory thermogenic agents that will be discussed include ephedrine and caffeine. Examples of non-stimulatory thermogenic agents include p-synephrine (bitter orange extract), capsaicin, forskolin (Coleus root extract), and chlorogenic acid (green coffee bean extract). Green tea is an example of a thermogenic with the potential to produce mild but clinically insignificant undesirable stimulatory effects. The use of the aforementioned thermogenic agents in combination with other extracts such as those derived from Salacia reticulata, Sesamum indicum, Lagerstroemia speciosa, Cissus quadrangularis, and Moringa olifera, as well as the use of the carotenoids as lutein and fucoxanthin, and flavonoids as naringin and hesperidin can further facilitate energy metabolism and weight management as well as sports performance without adverse side effects. © 2016 The Authors Phytotherapy Research published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.