The study offers methods and models for elucidating fat accumulation and mechanisms, valuable for studies of other plant-based nutraceuticals.

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Obesity is a global epidemic. The polysaccharide extract from Cyclocarya paliurus have good performance in safely alleviating the fat accumulation of C. elegans, which is expected to be developed into an effective natural anti-obesity product.

BACKGROUND: As an edible and medicinal herb in Chinese folk medicine, Cyclocarya paliurus (Batal.) Iljinskaja leaves are traditionally widely used in the treatment of metabolic disorders. The vegetable Momordica charantia L. has been consumed worldwide for thousands of years as a traditional drug due to its activities against obesity and diabetes. In view of the therapeutic value of Momordica saponins (MSs) and C. paliurus polysaccharides (CPPs), an independently developed MSs-and CPPs-containing beverage (MC) was evaluated for its efficacy in controlling oxidative stress and obesity in Caenorhabditis elegans.RESULTS: First, we found that MC could promote the nuclear localization of DAF-16 and the translation of SOD-3. Further exploring its antioxidant properties, the oxidative stress by-products reactive oxygen species, malondialdehyde, and nonesterified fatty acids were significantly inhibited in C. elegans. Moreover, damage due to diseases related to oxidative stress (age pigments and neurodegenerative diseases) was alleviated. Furthermore, fat accumulation was significantly reduced in normal and high-fat models. Finally, the lipid-lowering effects of MC might involve reductions in the size and number of lipid droplets without impairing basic physiological functions in C. elegans.CONCLUSION: These results provide promising data indicating MC as an innovative health beverage for the pharmacological management of oxidative stress and obesity.

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