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Review
. 2019 Jul 18:16:47.
doi: 10.1186/s12986-019-0370-7. eCollection 2019.

Flavonoids as inducers of white adipose tissue browning and thermogenesis: signalling pathways and molecular triggers

Xuejun Zhang #  1 , Xin Li #  2 , Huang Fang  3 , Fengjin Guo  3 , Feng Li  3 , Anmin Chen  3 , Shilong Huang  3
Affiliations
Review

Flavonoids as inducers of white adipose tissue browning and thermogenesis: signalling pathways and molecular triggers

Xuejun Zhang et al. Nutr Metab (Lond). .

Abstract

Background: Flavonoids are a class of plant and fungus secondary metabolites and are the most common group of polyphenolic compounds in the human diet. In recent studies, flavonoids have been shown to induce browning of white adipocytes, increase energy consumption, inhibit high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity and improve metabolic status. Promoting the activity of brown adipose tissue (BAT) and inducing white adipose tissue (WAT) browning are promising means to increase energy expenditure and improve glucose and lipid metabolism. This review summarizes recent advances in the knowledge of flavonoid compounds and their metabolites.

Methods: We searched the following databases for all research related to flavonoids and WAT browning published through March 2019: PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Web of Science. All included studies are summarized and listed in Table 1.

Result: We summarized the effects of flavonoids on fat metabolism and the specific underlying mechanisms in sub-categories. Flavonoids activated the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), promoted the release of adrenaline and thyroid hormones to increase thermogenesis and induced WAT browning through the AMPK-PGC-1α/Sirt1 and PPAR signalling pathways. Flavonoids may also promote brown preadipocyte differentiation, inhibit apoptosis and produce inflammatory factors in BAT.

Conclusion: Flavonoids induced WAT browning and activated BAT to increase energy consumption and non-shivering thermogenesis, thus inhibiting weight gain and preventing metabolic diseases.

Keywords: Brown adipose tissue; Browning; Flavonoids; Obesity.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interestsThe authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The basic structures of flavonoids, subgroups and derivatives
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
The signaling pathways and mechanisms whereby flavonoids promote WAT browning. SNS: sympathetic nervous system; β3-AR: β3 adrenocepter; cAMP: cyclic adenosine monophosphate; PKA: protein kinase A; AMPK: adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase; AICAR: 5-Amino-4-formamide imidazolium ribonucleotide; Sirt1: silent mating type information regulation 2 homolog 1; VMH: ventromedial hypothalamus; JNK: C-Jun amino-terminal kinase; T4: tetraiodothyronine; T3: triiodothyronine; NAD+: nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide; PGC-1α: proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator 1α; PPAR: peroxisome proliferator activated receptor; WAT: white adipose tissue; BAT: brown adipose tissue; PRDM16: positive regulatory domain containing 16; UCP-1: uncoupling protein 1; HSL: hormone sensitive lipase; ACC: acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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