title: Scientific evidence for traditional claim of anti-obesity activity of Tecomella undulata bark.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The bark of Tecomella undulata is traditionally claimed in the treatment of various disease ailments including obesity and cancer. Till now there are no studies about anti-obesity activity of Tecomella undulata bark.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The present study was aimed to establish a scientific evidence for anti-obesity efficiency of ethyl acetate extract of Tecomella undulata bark (EATUB). Further to standardize the active fractions of EATUB using different biomarkers.
  
  
  METHODS
  We investigated activity of EATUB fractions (F1-F7) using 3T3-L1 fibroblasts. Further, F1-mediated effects were characterized by determining mRNA and protein levels of SIRT1, one of the key targets for the treatment of obesity, using semi-quantitative RT-PCR (sqRT-PCR) and western blot analysis. The consequences of modulation of SIRT1 on mRNA and protein levels of various adipogenesis mediators like PPARγ, C/EBPα, E2F1, leptin, adiponectin and LPL were also studied. In vivo studies were performed using High Fat Diet (HFD) obese mice.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our data showed that compared to controls, preadipocytes and adipocytes incubated with F1 exhibited a significant decrease in adipogenesis and lipogenesis. In addition, sqRT-PCR and western blot analysis showed significant increase in SIRT1 and adiponectin levels and decrease in PPARγ, C/EBPα, E2F1, leptin and LPL levels in preadipocytes and adipocytes. In vivo studies of F1 in HFD induced obese mice showed significant improvement in lipid profile and glucose levels. The bioactive fraction (F1) was determined to possess 4.95% of ferulic acid.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Thus, our findings signified the beneficial effects of Tecomella undulata bark in pharmacologic interventions related to obesity and metabolic disorders. Ferulic acid and rutin are being reported and quantified for the first time from the bark of Tecomella undulata.
authors.affiliation: G. Pulla Reddy College of Pharmacy, Mehdipatnam, Hyderabad 500 028, AP, India. ravi_alvala@yahoo.co.in
authors.forename: Ravi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Alvala
authors.forename: Mallika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alvala
authors.forename: Venkatesh
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sama
authors.forename: Sriram
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dharmarajan
authors.forename: Jeankumar Variam
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Ullas
authors.forename: Madhava Reddy
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: B
mesh_terms: D041721:3T3-L1 Cells; D000085:Acetates / Q000737:chemistry; D017667:Adipocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D050156:Adipogenesis / Q000187:drug effects; D052242:Adiponectin / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D029402:Bignoniaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D022763:CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Protein-alpha / Q000378:metabolism; D002460:Cell Line; D059305:Diet, High-Fat; D050687:E2F1 Transcription Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D020738:Leptin / Q000378:metabolism; D050356:Lipid Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects; D050155:Lipogenesis / Q000187:drug effects; D008071:Lipoprotein Lipase / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008820:Mice, Obese; D009765:Obesity / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D047495:PPAR gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D024301:Plant Bark / Q000737:chemistry*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D056564:Sirtuin 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000085:Acetates; D052242:Adiponectin; D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents; D015415:Biomarkers; D022763:CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Protein-alpha; D050687:E2F1 Transcription Factor; C493754:E2f1 protein, mouse; D020738:Leptin; D047495:PPAR gamma; D010936:Plant Extracts; D014280:Triglycerides; C007650:ethyl acetate; D008071:Lipoprotein Lipase; C470545:Sirt1 protein, mouse; D056564:Sirtuin 1; D005947:Glucose