No abstract

Objective Botanical compounds and extracts are widely used as nutritional supplements for the promotion of health or prevention of disease. An extract of Artemisia dracunculus (PMI 5011) has been shown to improve insulin action, yet the precise mechanism is not known. We proposed that the mechanism by which PMI 5011 and two related Artimisia extracts improve insulin action is associated with a downregulation of DNL in the liver and an increase in DNL in the adipose tissue. Materials/Methods DIO old male mice (C57BL/6J) were divided into 4 groups: (control, 5011,Santa, and Scopa) and fed for 30 days with respective extracts incorporated into the diet at 1%(w/w). Deuterium was administered on day 30 for the measurement of DNL in blood, liver, and white adipose tissue. Individual fatty acids and glycerol levels were also measured. Results There was no statistically significant differences in de novo lipogenesis between the control group and the three botanical treatments. Plasma levels of all four long chain fatty acids were significantly lower in all three treatment groups. Glycerol in the plasma was lower in all three groups as compared to the control group, but this did not reach statistical significance in all cases. Tissue levels of the fatty acids and glycerol did not differ between any of the treatment groups. Conclusions These results suggest that botanicals may not affect fractional de novo lipogenesis in animals on a high fat diet. However, there were decreases in long chain fatty acids and in glycerol coming from the newly synthesized triglycerides in plasma.