Adipocyte dysfunction is a major cause of obesity, which is associated strongly with many disorders including psychological and medical morbidities, metabolic abnormalities, and cardiovascular diseases as well as a series of cancers. This study investigated the antiadipogenic activity of scutellarin (1) in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes as well as the underlying molecular mechanisms. It was observed that 1 reduced adipocyte differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells potently, as evidenced by a decrease in cellular lipid accumulation. At the molecular level, mRNA expression of the master adipogenic transcription factors, PPARγ and C/EBPα, was decreased markedly. However, mRNA levels of C/EBPβ, the upstream regulator of PPARγ and C/EBPα, were not decreased by 1. Moreover, a dose-dependent upregulation of PPARα was observed for 1. Computational modeling indicated that 1 can bind to PPARα, γ, and δ each in a distinct manner, while it can activate PPARα only by forming a hydrogen bond with Y464, thus stabilizing the AF-2 helix and activating PPARα. Therefore, these results suggest that 1, a major component of Scutellaria baicalensis, attenuates fat cell differentiation by upregulating PPARα as well as downregulating the expression of PPARγ and C/EBPα, thus showing therapeutic potential for obesity-related diseases.

The array of comorbidities that comes with obesity and the propelling surge of this disease globally today make the urgent need for treatment vital. Although promoting a healthy physical regimen and controlled diet to affected patients are the main bulk of present treatment, prescriptions of weight-loss medications have also been introduced to complement this treatment. However, the use of synthetic medications may produce adverse side effects and consequently affect the patient's quality of life. In view of these problems, the use of natural sources as alternative remedies has recently become very popular. Tropical fruit "waste components", namely, the seed, flower, leaf, peel, and part of the fruit, which are often discarded after consumption, have recently been studied and showed evidence suggesting their potential as promising future alternative sources of remedy. The high amounts of phytochemicals present in these components were believed to be responsible for the antiobesity effect observed experimentally. This review aims to introduce some of the recently discussed tropical fruit waste components that have been discovered to possess antiobesity effects. The major bioactive compounds of the respective fruit components identified and deduced to be responsible for the overall bioactivity will be evaluated. Following this, the subsequent need for the development of an effective processing or recycling technique required to effectively tap the maximum potential of these fruit parts will also be addressed.