Mulberry water extracts possess an anti-obesity effect and ability to inhibit hepatic lipogenesis and promote lipolysis

Abstract

Obesity plays a critical role in dyslipidemia and related disorders. Mulberry water extracts (MWEs) contain polyphenols, including gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, rutin, and anthocyanins. In this study, using 6-week-old male hamsters, we investigated the anti-obese effect of MWEs. After 12 weeks of treatment, MWEs lowered high-fat diet (HFD)-induced body weight and visceral fat, accompanied with hypolipidemic effects by reducing serum triacylglycerol, cholesterol, free fatty acid, and the low-density lipoprotein (LDL)/high-density lipoprotein (HDL) ratio (n=8 for each group). MWEs decreased hepatic lipids, thus protected livers from impairment. The hepatic peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α and carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1 were elevated, while fatty acid synthase and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase were reduced by MWEs, indicating that MWEs regulated lipogenesis and lipolysis, which exerted the anti-obese and hypolipidemic effects. Noticeably, MWEs showed both efficacy and safety in vivo. In concluson, MWEs can be used to reduce body weight, serum, and liver lipids.