Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.) Leaf-Fermentation Supernatant Inhibits Adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 Preadipocytes and Suppresses Obesity in High-Fat Diet-Induced Obese Rats

Abstract

The lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.) leaf is a typical homologous ingredient of medicine and food with lipid-lowering and weight-loss effects. In the present study, lotus leaves were fermented by two probiotics, Enterococcus faecium WEFA23 and Enterococcus hirae WEHI01, and the anti-adipogenic effect of Enterococcus fermented lotus leaf supernatant (FLLS) was evaluated in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes with the aim of exploring whether its anti-obesity ability will be enhanced after fermentation with Enterococcus and to dig out the potential corresponding mechanism. The FLLS fermented by E. hirae WEHI01 (FLLS-WEHI01) was selected and further investigated for its ability to inhibit obesity in vivo in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese rats (male, 110 ± 5 g, 4 weeks old) due to its superior inhibitory effect on adipogenesis and lipid accumulation (inhibition rate of up to 56.17%) in 3T3-L1 cells (p = 0.008 for WEHI01-L, p < 0.001 for WEHI01-H). We found that the oral administration of both the low and high doses of FLLS-WEHI01 could achieve some effects, namely decreasing body weight (p < 0.001), epididymal fat mass, adipocyte cell size, LDL-C levels (p = 0.89, 0.02, respectively), liver TC levels (p < 0.001, p = 0.01, respectively), and TG levels (p = 0.2137, p = 0.0464, respectively), fasting blood glucose (p = 0.1585, p = 0.0009), and improved insulin resistance (p = 0.33, 0.01, respectively) in rats of the model group. Moreover, the administration of both high and low doses of FLLS-WEHI01 decreased the transcription levels of adipogenic transcription factors and corresponding genes such as Pparγ (p < 0.001), Cebpα (p < 0.001), Acc (p < 0.001), and Fas (p < 0.001) by at least three times. These results indicate that FLLS-WEHI01 can potentially be developed as an healthy, anti-obesity foodstuff.

Structurally Diverse Bisbenzylisoquinoline Alkaloids with Antiadipogenic Activity through PPARγ Downregulation from the Embryo of Nelumbo nucifera Seeds

“…nucifera seeds was mainly used for neuroprotection. , However, it is rich in alkaloids that are highly similar to the leaf of N. nucifera, − suggesting that embryo of N. nucifera seeds may also have antiobesity potential.…”

“…The embryo of N. nucifera seeds was mainly used for neuroprotection. 30 , 31 However, it is rich in alkaloids that are highly similar to the leaf of N. nucifera , 13 − 15 suggesting that embryo of N. nucifera seeds may also have antiobesity potential. Based on this, we studied the alkaloids of embryo of N. nucifera seeds and explored their biological activity.…”

“…The embryo of Nelumbo nucifera seeds is rich in BBI and aporphine alkaloids, , which are recognized as the main antiadipogenic components in lotus leaf (the dried leaf of N. nucifera, which has been proved to have significant antiobesity function). − Recently, neferine, a BBI alkaloid from the embryo of N. nucifera seeds, has been reported to possess antiadipogenic activity .…”

“…The embryo of Nelumbo nucifera seeds is rich in BBI and aporphine alkaloids, 9 , 10 which are recognized as the main antiadipogenic components in lotus leaf (the dried leaf of N. nucifera , which has been proved to have significant antiobesity function). 11 − 15 Recently, neferine, a BBI alkaloid from the embryo of N. nucifera seeds, has been reported to possess antiadipogenic activity. 16 This indicates that the embryo of N. nucifera seeds may have potential in the antiobese function and encouraged us to investigate other alkaloids in the embryo of N. nucifera seeds for a better understanding of the antiobesity benefits of N. nucifera .…”

Probiotic‐fermented edible herbs as functional foods: A review of current status, challenges, and strategies

“…In addition, studies have shown that the biological activity of many herbs, including MFH, is achieved through biotransformation by intestinal microbiota (Hussain et al., 2016). Evidence has been accumulating in recent years that probiotic‐fermented MFH has beneficial effects on human health, including the prevention and control of disease (He et al., 2022; Shen et al., 2022). Probiotic‐driven fermentation enhances/alters the effectiveness of MFH by transforming and releasing its active ingredients, thereby promoting human health and improving its sensory properties, as well as extending its shelf life (Leonard et al., 2021; Torres et al., 2020).…”