Lemon verbena (Lippia citriodora) has been used as a food spice, cosmetic, and in traditional medicine formulations to treat asthma and diabetes in South America and Southern Europe. Hibiscus flower (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) is used in traditional Chinese medicine in the form of a tea to treat hypertension and inflammation. In the present study, we examined the synergistic effects of a formula of Metabolaid® (MetA), a combination of lemon verbena and hibiscus-flower extracts, on obesity and its complications in high-fat-diet (HFD)-induced obese mice. The results showed that MetA decreased body weight, white adipose tissue (WAT), and liver weight. Additionally, serum and hepatic lipid profiles, glucose levels, glucose tolerance, and cold-induced thermogenesis were significantly improved. Appetite-regulating hormones adiponectin and leptin were significantly increased and decreased, respectively, while the inflammatory-related factors tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-6 were downregulated by MetA. Adipogenesis-activating gene expression was decreased, while increased thermogenesis-inducing genes were upregulated in the WAT, correlating with increased phosphorylation of AMPK and fatty-acid oxidation in the liver. Taken together, these results suggest that MetA decreased obesity and its complications in HFD mice. Therefore, this formula may be a candidate for the prevention and treatment of obesity and its complications.

Our data show that both acupunctures at classical points and nondefined points improved the symptoms of patients with FD. However, we cannot rule out the possibilities of placebo effect in this trial.

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Insects represent the largest and most diverse group of organisms on earth and are potential food and drug resources. Recently, we have demonstrated that a Forsythia viridissima extract prevented free fatty acid-induced lipid accumulation in an in vitro cellular nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) model. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the hepatoprotective effects of extracts of the insects Protaetia brevitarsis seulensis Kolbe, 1886 (PB), Oxya chinensis sinuosa Mishchenko, 1951 (OC), and Gryllus bimaculatus De Geer, 1773 (GB) in a high-fat diet (HFD)-induced NAFLD animal model, as well as to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. The effects of the supplementation with PB, OC, and GB extracts were evaluated histopathologically and histochemically. PB, OC, and GB extract supplementation inhibited the HFD-induced increase in body weight and body fat mass and ameliorated other adverse changes, resulting in decreased liver function parameters, lower serum triglyceride and cholesterol levels, and increased serum adiponectin levels. The expression of hepatic genes involved in lipid droplet accumulation and in fatty acid uptake also decreased upon treatment of HFD-fed mice with the extracts. These results provide evidence of the protective effects of the PB, OC, and GB extracts against HFD-induced fatty liver disease in an animal model.