Blue honeysuckle rich in cyanidin-3-O-glucoside inhibited adipogenic differentiation by modulation of the adipogenesis pathway in 3T3-L1 adipocytes

Abstract

Background: Blue honeysuckle (BH; Lonicera caerulea L.), which is a traditional medicinal plant, is known to be a rich source of anthocyanins and phenolic acids due to its strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Its anti-obesity effects, which are a result of attenuating abnormal lipid and glucose metabolisms, have also been reported.
 Aim: The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of BH on genes and proteins that are involved in the adipocyte differentiation using 3T3-L1 cells.
 Methods: The effects of the water extracts of the BH were examined on adipogenesis and lipolysis using a biochemical and molecular analysis of the 3T3-L1 cells.
 Results: Cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (C3G) from the BH extract was determined in order to contain 1.67 mg/g by the high-performance liquid chromatography analysis. The lipid accumulation in the adipocytes was reduced, which ranged from 58 to 26% in the BH (500 and 1,000 µg/mL) compared to the control group. The lipolysis that was measured by the glycerol content was not affected by the BH at 1,000 μg/mL. The BH downregulated the expression of the main transcription factors of the adipogenesis pathway, such as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ, 1, 2, adipose differentiation-related protein, CCAAT/enhancer binding protein α, and acetyl CoA carboxylase, while increasing the expression of the Adenosine monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase α.
 Conclusion: These findings suggest that the BH is a good source of C3G, and it could be effective in regard to inhibiting the adipogenesis as opposed to the lipolysis, which indicates the potential for natural anti-obesity ingredients.

A Systematic Review of Cardio-Metabolic Properties of Lonicera caerulea L.

“…Also, Lee et al examined the effect of blue honeysuckle water extract rich in C3G in inhibiting the adipocytes’ differentiation, cell line—3T3-L1. They showed that the blue honeysuckle extract managed to inhibit adipogenesis and to downregulate the expression of several transcription factors involved in the adipogenesis pathway, but not to affect lipolysis, remarking its potential as a natural anti-obesity candidate [ 119 ].…”

Breeding trends on blue honeysuckle (Lonicera caerulea L.)

“…In addition, the leaves of blue honeysuckle also contain polyphenols and flavonoids (Burneikaitė et al, 2023). Blue honeysuckle berries can be used as a raw material for multiple functional foods and health products, and many reports have shown that blue honeysuckle has anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-diabetes, antiobesity and other functions (Amararathna et al, 2020;Lee et al, 2022;Liu et al, 2019;Minami et al, 2019aMinami et al, , 2019bRahman et al, 2021;Sharma & Lee, 2021).…”