The Resin fromProtium heptaphyllumPrevents High-Fat Diet-Induced Obesity in Mice: Scientific Evidence and Potential Mechanisms

Abstract

Herbal compounds rich in triterpenes are well known to regulate glucose and lipid metabolism and to have beneficial effects on metabolic disorders. The present study investigated the antiobesity properties of resin from Protium heptaphyllum (RPH) and the possible mechanisms in mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 15 weeks. Mice treated with RPH showed decreases in body weight, net energy intake, abdominal fat accumulation, plasma glucose, amylase, lipase, triglycerides, and total cholesterol relative to their respective controls, which were RPH unfed. Additionally, RPH treatment, while significantly elevating the plasma level of ghrelin hormone, decreased the levels of insulin, leptin, and resistin. Besides, HFD-induced increases in plasma levels of proinflammatory mediators TNF-α, IL-6, and MCP-1 were significantly lowered by RPH. Furthermore, in vitro studies revealed that RPH could significantly inhibit the lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes (measured by Oil-Red O staining) at concentrations up to 50 μg/mL. These findings suggest that the antiobese potential of RPH is largely due to its modulatory effects on various hormonal and enzymatic secretions related to fat and carbohydrate metabolism and to the regulation of obesity-associated inflammation.

Endothelial Dysfunction and Inflammation Precedes Elevations in Blood Pressure Induced by a High-Fat Diet

“… 23 In mice, the HFD induced an elevation of IL-6 after 2, 4 and 6 months, 24 and an increase in plasma levels of pro-inflammatory mediators TNF-α, IL-6 after 15 weeks. 25 …”

“…Obesity is also associated with an impairment of endothelial cell function and promotes endothelial dysfunction through an array of metabolic disorders including the accumulation of adipose tissue, high blood pressure, dyslipidemia and diabetes, which are linked to vascular oxidative stress. 25 The endothelium comprises the inner lining of blood vessels, and forms the interface between the circulating blood and the vascular wall. It also acts as an endocrine and paracrine organ, which regulates vascular function by secreting a variety of trophic and vasoactive factors that regulate vascular tone, cell adhesion, smooth muscle cell proliferation and inflammation of the vascular wall.…”

Ferulic acid lowers body weight and visceral fat accumulation via modulation of enzymatic, hormonal and inflammatory changes in a mouse model of high-fat diet-induced obesity

“…The remaining mice consumed HFD (HFD control), HFD+FA (0.05% in drinking water, which is equivalent to 10 mg/kg of body weight based on water consumption), or HFD+SIB (0.05% in drinking water, which amounts to 10 mg/kg of body weight) for 15 weeks. FA and SIB concentrations were based on our previous experiments (8,19). FA was suspended initially in 3% (v/v) Tween 80 and then further diluted in water.…”

The triterpenoid alpha, beta-amyrin prevents the impaired aortic vascular reactivity in high-fat diet-induced obese mice

“…Studies have demonstrated the potential of triterpenoids from olive oil as a therapeutic strategy in preventing vascular injury and the progression of cardiovascular diseases (Xiang et al 2012). We have previously reported on the anti-obesity and hypolipidemic properties of the resin from Protium heptaphyllum and its major triterpenoid constituents, alphaand beta-amyrin (AMY), in mice subjected to an HFD for 15 weeks (Carvalho et al 2015;Carvalho et al 2017). We have previously demonstrated the anti-obesity and pro-weight-loss potential of AMY, largely attributed to its modulatory effects on various hormonal and enzymatic secretions related to fat and carbohydrate metabolism and to the regulation of obesityassociated inflammation (Carvalho et al 2015); however, whether AMY can offer protective effects against the influences of obesity on vascular reactivity has not been established.…”

“…We have previously reported on the anti-obesity and hypolipidemic properties of the resin from Protium heptaphyllum and its major triterpenoid constituents, alphaand beta-amyrin (AMY), in mice subjected to an HFD for 15 weeks (Carvalho et al 2015;Carvalho et al 2017). We have previously demonstrated the anti-obesity and pro-weight-loss potential of AMY, largely attributed to its modulatory effects on various hormonal and enzymatic secretions related to fat and carbohydrate metabolism and to the regulation of obesityassociated inflammation (Carvalho et al 2015); however, whether AMY can offer protective effects against the influences of obesity on vascular reactivity has not been established. It is well known that endothelial dysfunction plays an essential role in the initiation of the cascade of events leading to cardiovascular risk factors (Reriani et al 2010), and a number of pathological conditions are associated with endothelial dysfunction, including diabetes, dyslipidemia, and obesity (Boger et al 1997;Virdis et al 2013;Wilk et al 2013).…”