title: Structural investigation of ginsenoside Rf with PPARγ major transcriptional factor of adipogenesis and its impact on adipocyte.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Adipocytes, which are the main cellular component of adipose tissue, are the building blocks of obesity. The nuclear hormone receptor PPARγ is a major regulator of adipocyte differentiation and development. Obesity, which is one of the most dangerous yet silent diseases of all time, is fast becoming a critical area of research focus.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, we initially aimed to investigate whether the ginsenoside Rf, a compound that is only present in Panax ginseng Meyer, interacts with PPARγ by molecular docking simulations. After we performed the docking simulation the result has been analyzed with several different software programs, including Discovery Studio, Pymol, Chimera, Ligplus, and Pose View. All of the programs identified the same mechanism of interaction between PPARγ and Rf, at the same active site. To determine the drug-like and biological activities of Rf, we calculate its absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxic (ADMET) and prediction of activity spectra for substances (PASS) properties. Considering the results obtained from the computational investigations, the focus was on the in vitro experiments.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Because the docking simulations predicted the formation of structural bonds between Rf and PPARγ, we also investigated whether any evidence for these bonds could be observed at the cellular level. These experiments revealed that Rf treatment of 3T3-L1 adipocytes downregulated the expression levels of PPARγ and perilipin, and also decreased the amount of lipid accumulated at different doses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The ginsenoside Rf appears to be promising compound that could prove useful in antiobesity treatments.
authors.affiliation: Ginseng Genetic Resource Bank, Graduate School of Biotechnology, College of Life Science, Kyung Hee University, Korea.
authors.forename: Fayeza Md
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Siraj
authors.affiliation: Ginseng Genetic Resource Bank, Graduate School of Biotechnology, College of Life Science, Kyung Hee University, Korea.
authors.forename: Sathishkumar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Natarajan
authors.affiliation: Ginseng Genetic Resource Bank, Graduate School of Biotechnology, College of Life Science, Kyung Hee University, Korea.
authors.forename: Md Amdadul
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Huq
authors.affiliation: Ginseng Genetic Resource Bank, Graduate School of Biotechnology, College of Life Science, Kyung Hee University, Korea.
authors.forename: Yeon Ju
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Ginseng Genetic Resource Bank, Graduate School of Biotechnology, College of Life Science, Kyung Hee University, Korea.
authors.forename: Deok Chun
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Yang
keywords: PPARγ; Panax ginseng; adipocyte; ginsenoside Rf; molecular docking