Plant natural products as an anti-lipid droplets accumulation agent

Abstract

Recently people often suffer from unhealthy energy metabolism balance as they tend to take more energy than required. Normally, excess energy taken in is converted into triglyceride and stored in adipocyte as lipid droplets. Recent studies have suggested that irregular accumulation of triglyceride in adipocyte might be a cause of many metabolic diseases. Thus, the awareness of the detrimental effects on health of excessive lipid droplets accumulation (LDA) has urged the development or finding of drugs to counter this effect, including those from botanical origins. This review summarized recent progress in this field from the viewpoint of crude drug studies with references to their anti-LDA activity. Possible mechanisms involved in their anti-LDA effect and isolations of the relevant bioactive compounds were also discussed.

Fig. 1

Simplified signaling cascade of lipogenesis and adipogenesis

Fig. 2

Structure of aristolochic acid

Fig. 3

Structure of licochalcone A

Fig. 4

Structure of (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG)

Fig. 5

Structure of ceramicine B

Fig. 6

Structure of foenumoside B

Fig. 7

Structures of (+)-fargesin, (+)-eudesmin, (+)-epimagnolin A, and (+)-magnolin

Fig. 8

Structures of salicin and salicortin

Fig. 9

Stucture of 3″-(E)-p-coumaroylquercitrin

Fig. 10

Structures of (±)-p-synephrine and β-cryptoxanthin

Fig. 11

Structures of capsaisin, capsiate, and 9-oxooctadeca-10,12-dienoic acid

Fig. 12

Structure of berberine

Fig. 13

Structures of curcumin, demethoxycurcumin, and bisdemethoxycurcumin