Investigation of the anti-obesity action of licorice flavonoid oil in diet-induced obese rats.
Licorice flavonoid oil (LFO), which contains hydrophobic flavonoids from Glycyrrhiza glabra LINNE, is a new ingredient for functional foods. In this study, we investigated the anti-obesity action of LFO in diet-induced obese rats. The addition of 2% LFO in a high-fat diet significantly decreased the weight of abdominal adipose tissue and the levels of hepatic and plasma triglycerides. We found that the enzymatic activities of acetyl-CoA carboxylase and fatty acid synthase, the rate-limiting enzymes in the fatty acid synthetic pathway, were significantly decreased by LFO, whereas the enzymatic activity of acyl-CoA dehydrogenase, the rate-limiting enzyme in the fatty acid oxidative pathway, was significantly increased. All our findings suggest that the anti-obesity action of LFO is controlled by regulation of the rate-limiting enzymes in the fatty acid synthetic and oxidative pathways in the liver.
Kamisoyama
Hiroshi
H
Department of Bioresource Science, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan.
Honda
Kazuhisa
K
Tominaga
Yuji
Y
Yokota
Shinichi
S
Hasegawa
Shin
S
D000005:Abdomen / Q000473:pathology; D000103:Acetyl-CoA Carboxylase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D004032:Diet; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects; D064429:Fatty Acid Synthases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006035:Glycyrrhiza / Q000737:chemistry*; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism
D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents; D005227:Fatty Acids; D005419:Flavonoids; D010938:Plant Oils; D014280:Triglycerides; D064429:Fatty Acid Synthases; D000103:Acetyl-CoA Carboxylase