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Mitochondrial biogenesis is a key factor, which influences the function of skeletal muscle. Increasingly, flavonoids are reported to have the potential ability of regulating mitochondrial biogenesis. In this study, we investigated the effects of tangeretin, a polymethoxylated flavonoid isolated from mandarin fruits, on mitochondrial biogenesis and its underlying mechanisms. The tangeretin was obtained from the peel of “Dahongpao” tangerine by macroporous adsorptive resins combined with preparative-high performance liquid chromatography. The activity of mitochondrial biogenesis was explored by using mouse-derived C2C12 myoblasts and Kunming mice. Results showed that the purity of tangeretin obtained was 98.64%, and it could effectively activate mitochondrial biogenesis signaling pathway both at gene and at protein levels in C2C12 myoblasts. Animal experiments showed that tangeretin pretreatment could markedly improve exercise performance (the time of hanging wire and run to fatigue was obviously increased 1.6-fold and 2.1-fold in the high-dose tangeretin group, respectively), and the transmission electron microscopy, Western blotting, and immunohistochemistry further indicated that tangeretin increased mitochondria number and activated mitochondrial biogenesis signaling axis. Our findings suggest that tangeretin enhanced mitochondrial biogenesis via activating the AMPK-PGC1-α pathway, resulting in the improvement of exercise performance, and tangeretin may be a potentially novel mitochondria regulator in foods.

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Increasing energy expenditure by activating thermogenesis in brown and beige adipocytes is a critical approach to protect against obesity. Here, we investigated the action and mechanism of a natural polymethoxyflavone on adaptive thermogenesis in high-fat diet-induced obesity mouse model. Nobiletin treatment significantly ameliorated obesity, alleviated the whitening of brown adipose tissue, and promoted browning of white adipose tissue in mice fed a high-fat diet. Gut microbiota analysis and metabolomic profiling revealed that nobiletin treatment resulted in a composition shift in the gut microbiota thereby altering fermentation products acetate levels in the host feces and serum. Further, transplantation of the microbiota from nobiletin-treated mice to microbiota-depleted mice activated brown adipose tissue activity, promoted beige adipocytes formation, and improved high-fat diet-induced obesity. Our results indicate that nobiletin could be used as a dietary therapy to prevent HFD-induced obesity, and provide a potential target-specific gut microbial species-driven mechanism for activating thermogenesis in brown and beige adipocytes.

Background: Preeclampsia is one form of hypertensive disorders, responsible for severe morbidity, long-term disability and maternal and newborn mortality worldwide. Studies have assessed the role of diet on the risk of preeclampsia using various dietary patterns, however, the association between dietary pattern and the risk of preeclampsia is not entirely clear. This study aimed to determine the association between maternal dietary patterns and the risk of preeclampsia through a meta-analysis of observational studies. Methods: Electronic literature was searched in 3 databases, including PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science, for articles published up to November 2020 that examined the association between dietary patterns and preeclampsia. Only studies considered observational were included. Two authors independently performed study selection and data extraction. Pooled effect sizes of eligible studies were estimated by using randomeffects models for healthy diet patterns and fixed-effects models for western diet patterns. Results: A total of 12 articles reporting 25 studies were selected for this study. Results from 11 articles reporting 22 studies were pooled. Healthy dietary patterns (16 studies) and western dietary pattern (6 studies) were identified. Higher adherence to a healthy dietary pattern was significantly associated with a reduced risk of preeclampsia (OR (95% CI): 0.79 (0.73e0.85), I 2 ¼ 57.2%, P ¼ 0.009),