Baccharis trimera (Less.) DC Exhibits an Anti-Adipogenic Effect by Inhibiting the Expression of Proteins Involved in Adipocyte Differentiation

• Main Authors: Daniele de Souza Marinho do Nascimento, Ruth Medeiros Oliveira, Rafael Barros Gomes Camara, Dayanne Lopes Gomes, Jessika Fernanda Santiago Monte, Mariana Santana Santos Pereira Costa, Júlia Moraes Fernandes, Silvana Maria Zucolotto Langassner, Hugo Alexandre Oliveira Rocha
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2017-06-01
• Series: Molecules
• Subjects: adipogenesis; antioxidant; chlorogenic acid
• Online Access: http://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/22/6/972

Baccharis trimera (Less.) DC (gorse) is a plant popularly used for the treatment of obesity. In this study, we prepared three B. trimera extracts aqueous extract (AE), decoction (AE-D), and methanol extract (ME) and investigated their antioxidant effects in six different tests and their anti-adipogenic effect in 3T3-L1 cells. The extracts showed a dose-dependent antioxidant activity in all tests. AE was the most potent antioxidant in copper and ferric ion chelation assays, whereas AE-D was the most potent in superoxide and hydroxyl radical scavenging assays, reducing power assay, and total antioxidant capacity analysis. Only ME showed a cytotoxic effect against 3T3-L1 cells. Lipid accumulation decreased in 3T3-L1 adipocytes in the presence of AE and AE-D extracts (0.5 to 1.0 mg/mL). In addition, the extracts dramatically attenuated the levels of adipogenic transcriptional factors, including CCAAT enhancer-binding protein α (C/EBPα), CCAAT enhancer-binding protein β (C/EBPβ), and gamma receptors by peroxisome proliferators (PPARγ), during adipogenesis. AE-D (1.0 mg/mL) caused an approximately 90% reduction in the levels of these molecules. We propose that B. trimera has an anti-adipogenic effect and could be used in the development of functional foods.