Weight reduction by Chinese medicinal herbs may be related to inhibition of fatty acid synthase.
Fatty acid synthase (EC 2. 3. 1. 85, abbr. FAS) is reported as a potential new therapeutic target for the treatment of obesity. Thirty one Chinese medicinal herbs used in weight reducing prescriptions of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) were investigated for FAS inhibition. It was found that 17 of these herbs exhibited FAS inhibitor activity, and 9 were highly potent FAS inhibitors. The inhibitory potencies of the active components of tuber fleeceflower root, parasitic loranthus, green tea leaf and ginkgo leaf were similar to or greater than cerulenin and C75. The first three of these four herbs significantly reduced body weight of rats upon their oral incubation. Moreover, tuber fleeceflower root and parasitic loranthus significantly reduced food intake in rats. These results indicate that many of weight reducing herbs used in TCM do so by inhibiting FAS. They also hold promise for the development of new nontoxic and low cost weight reducing substances from these herbs.
Department of Biology, the Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039, PR China. tianweixi@gscas.ac.cn
Wei-Xi
WX
Tian
Li-Chun
LC
Li
Xiao-Dong
XD
Wu
Chuan-Chu
CC
Chen
D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004435:Eating; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D064429:Fatty Acid Synthases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009765:Obesity / Q000188:drug therapy; D008517:Phytotherapy; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D015431:Weight Loss
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D064429:Fatty Acid Synthases