Lee Swanson Research Update

Antioxidants May Help Stop Formation of Fat Cells

December 2006

Natural antioxidant compounds like flavonoids and phenolic acids could inhibit the formation of fat cells, new research from Taiwan suggests.

Fifteen phenolic acids and six flavonoids were studied for their ability to affect fat cells in laboratory cultures of mouse cells. Of those studied, rutin and o-coumaric acid were reported to inhibit activity of the glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH) enzyme that forms triglycerides—fatty materials which at high levels increase the risk of heart disease.

"These results indicate that flavonoids and phenolic acids may play a role in the control of adipogenesis and they might have further implication in in vivo anti-obesity effects," wrote Chin-Lin Hsu and Gow-Chin Yen from National Chung Hsing University.

The new study, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, looked at the effects of the flavonoids and phenolics on levels of triglycerides in the cells and GPDH activity in 3T3-L1 adipocytes (fat cells). Researchers chose the 3T3-L1 cell line because it has been used widely for several decades as a cell model for fat cell biology research.

Among the 15 phenolic acids and six flavonoids tested, rutin and o-coumaric acid were found to inhibit intracellular triglyceride the most, by 83% and 61%, respectively. Moreover, the same two compounds were found to be the most potent inhibitors of GPDH, reducing activity by 67% and 54%, respectively.

These two compounds also inhibited the expression of the hormone leptin and peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor gamma (PPAR-gamma), a protein that plays a role in metabolic functions. The compounds also up-regulated expression of adiponectin, a hormone that modulates a number of metabolic processes.

"These results suggest that rutin and o-coumaric acid targeted for adipocyte functions could be effective in improving the symptoms of metabolic syndrome," researchers concluded. Metabolic syndrome is a condition characterized by central obesity, hypertension and disturbed glucose and insulin metabolism. The syndrome has been linked to increased risks of both type-2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 55(21):8404-8410, 2007

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