Phytol and bilimbi phytocompounds induce thermogenic adipocyte differentiation: An in vitro study on potential anti-obesity effects
Farah Md Fauzi,
Mohamad Faiz Hamzah,
Muhd Zulkarnain Mahmud,
Azimah Amanah,
Mohd Hasnan Mohd Noor,
Zafarina Zainuddin,
Wai Kwan Lau
Affiliations
Farah Md Fauzi
Malaysian Institute of Pharmaceuticals & Nutraceuticals, National Institutes of Biotechnology Malaysia, Block 5A, Halaman Bukit Gambir, 11700, Gelugor, Penang, Malaysia
Mohamad Faiz Hamzah
Malaysian Institute of Pharmaceuticals & Nutraceuticals, National Institutes of Biotechnology Malaysia, Block 5A, Halaman Bukit Gambir, 11700, Gelugor, Penang, Malaysia
Muhd Zulkarnain Mahmud
Malaysian Institute of Pharmaceuticals & Nutraceuticals, National Institutes of Biotechnology Malaysia, Block 5A, Halaman Bukit Gambir, 11700, Gelugor, Penang, Malaysia
Azimah Amanah
Malaysian Institute of Pharmaceuticals & Nutraceuticals, National Institutes of Biotechnology Malaysia, Block 5A, Halaman Bukit Gambir, 11700, Gelugor, Penang, Malaysia
Mohd Hasnan Mohd Noor
Malaysian Institute of Pharmaceuticals & Nutraceuticals, National Institutes of Biotechnology Malaysia, Block 5A, Halaman Bukit Gambir, 11700, Gelugor, Penang, Malaysia
Zafarina Zainuddin
Analytical Biochemistry Research Centre, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800, USM, Penang, Malaysia
Wai Kwan Lau
Malaysian Institute of Pharmaceuticals & Nutraceuticals, National Institutes of Biotechnology Malaysia, Block 5A, Halaman Bukit Gambir, 11700, Gelugor, Penang, Malaysia; Corresponding author.
Background: Obesity is a major health concern associated to diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Brown adipocytes, which specialise in thermogenesis, offer a potential therapeutic target for obesity prevention and related conditions. This study builds on previous findings of the browning activity of Averrhoa bilimbi hexane fractions and aims to elucidate the underlying mechanisms in vitro. Squalene and phytol, key phytocompounds from bilimbi leaf extract and fractions, were assessed for their ability to induce thermogenic adipocyte using 3T3-L1 preadipocytes and C2C12 myoblasts in vitro models. The result shows that bilimbi fractions F7, F8, and F9, along with squalene and phytol, effectively induced thermogenic adipocyte differentiation. This was evidenced by the upregulation of key markers, including Ucp1, Prdm16, and Pgc1α, and increased expression of the brown adipocyte-specific protein CIDEA in treated 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. Notably, all treatments promoted thermogenic adipocytes differentiation in C2C12 myoblasts via the upregulation of Pgc1α, Ucp1 genes, and UCP1 protein. These findings suggest that bilimbi fractions and its phytocompounds may hold potential as nutraceutical interventions for obesity management.
