title: Anti-obese action of raspberry ketone.
abstract: Raspberry ketone (4-(4-hydroxyphenyl) butan-2-one; RK) is a major aromatic compound of red raspberry (Rubus idaeus). The structure of RK is similar to the structures of capsaicin and synephrine, compounds known to exert anti-obese actions and alter the lipid metabolism. The present study was performed to clarify whether RK helps prevent obesity and activate lipid metabolism in rodents. To test the effect on obesity, our group designed the following in vivo experiments: 1) mice were fed a high-fat diet including 0.5, 1, or 2% of RK for 10 weeks; 2) mice were given a high-fat diet for 6 weeks and subsequently fed the same high-fat diet containing 1% RK for the next 5 weeks. RK prevented the high-fat-diet-induced elevations in body weight and the weights of the liver and visceral adipose tissues (epididymal, retroperitoneal, and mesenteric). RK also decreased these weights and hepatic triacylglycerol content after they had been increased by a high-fat diet. RK significantly increased norepinephrine-induced lipolysis associated with the translocation of hormone-sensitive lipase from the cytosol to lipid droplets in rat epididymal fat cells. In conclusion, RK prevents and improves obesity and fatty liver. These effects appear to stem from the action of RK in altering the lipid metabolism, or more specifically, in increasing norepinephrine-induced lipolysis in white adipocytes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biochemistry, Ehime University School of Medicine, Shigenobu-cho, Onsen-gun, Ehime 791-0295, Japan. chie@m.ehime-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Chie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Morimoto
authors.forename: Yurie
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Satoh
authors.forename: Mariko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hara
authors.forename: Shintaro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsujita
authors.forename: Hiromichi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Okuda
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002074:Butanones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D008066:Lipolysis / Q000187:drug effects; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D009765:Obesity / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D002787:Sterol Esterase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents; D002074:Butanones; C035522:raspberry ketone; D002787:Sterol Esterase