Anti-Obesity and Antidiabetic Effects of Nelumbinis Semen Powder in High-Fat Diet-Induced Obese C57BL/6 Mice

Abstract

Nelumbinis Semen (NS, the seeds of Nelumbo nucifera) extract is a traditional Korean medicine with anti-oxidant activity. The present study examined the anti-obesity and antidiabetic effects of NS powder in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese C57BL/6 mice. Mice (n = 8/group) were fed a normal diet (CON), HFD, HFD containing 5% NS powder (HFD-NS5%), or HFD containing 10% NS powder (HFD-NS10%) for 12 weeks. Food intake was relatively higher in groups HFD-NS5% and HFD-NS10%, while the food efficiency ratio was highest in group HFD (p < 0.05). HFD-NS5% reduced the body weight (−39.1%) and fat weight (−26.6%), including epididymal fat and perirenal fat, and lowered the serum triglyceride levels (−20.6%) compared with HFD. Groups HFD-NS5% and HFD-NS10% showed hepatoprotective properties, reducing the serum ALT levels (p < 0.05) and fat globules (size and number) in the liver compared with group HFD. HFD-NS5% and HFD-NS10% regulated the blood glucose, improved the glucose intolerance, and showed a 12.5% and 15.0% reduction in the area under the curve (AUC) of intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test (IPGTT), and a 26.8% and 47.3% improvement in homeostatic model assessment insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), respectively, compared with HFD (p < 0.05). Regarding the expressions of genes related to anti-obesity and antidiabetes, there was a 1.7- and 1.3-fold increase in PPAR-α protein expression, 1.4- and 1.6-fold increase in PPAR-γ protein expression, and 0.7- and 0.6-fold decrease in TNF-α protein expression, respectively, following HFD-NS5% and HFD-NS10% treatments, compared with HFD, and GLUT4 protein expression increased relative to CON (p < 0.05). These results comprehensively provide the fundamental data for NS powder’s functional and health-promoting benefits associated with anti-obesity and antidiabetes.

Research Trends of Animal Experiment on the Herbal Medicine for Obesity: During the Recent 5 Years

“…실험군의 중재약물은 24편 [11][12][13][14]16,17,20,22,24,25,27,[33][34][35]37,39,44,45,47,50,54,56,57,60) 에서 단일약재, 나머지 26편에서 복합처방 형태로 사용되 었다. 논문에 사용된 단일약재는 모두 21종이었고 그 중 계지 12,17) , 갈근 16,37) , 차전초 33,34) 는 각각 2편에서 사용되었다.…”

“…중재기간은 짧게는 2주 13) 에서 길게는 16주 22) 까지였으 며, 동일한 중재에 대해 6, 8, 16주씩 기간을 다르게 설정 하여 비교한 논문이 1편 50) 있었다(Tables 1, 2). 26,30,32,39,60) , 3가지 범주의 평가방법을 사용한 논문이 20 11,12,14,18,[20][21][22][23]28,31,33,37,[43][44][45]51,52,54,58,59) 이었고, 4가지 범주의 평가방 법을 모두 사용한 논문이 24편 13,[15][16][17]19,24,25,27,29,35,36,38,[40][41][42][46][47][48][49][50]53,[55][56][57] 으로 가장 많았다. 13,15,…”

“…현미경적 분석은 35편 11,[13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25]27,29,33,35,36,38,[40][41][42][46][47][48][49][50][51][53][54][55][56][57][58] 에서 이루 어졌고, 간조직, 지방조직, 골격근조직, 췌장조직 등을 대 상으로 하였다. 31편 11,13,[15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24]27,29,33,35,36,38,…”

“…31편 11,13,[15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24]27,29,33,35,36,38,[40][41][42][47][48][49][50][51][53][54][55][56]58) 에서 간조 직의 지방축적 정도, 28편 [13][14][15][16][17][19][20][21]24,25,27,29,33,35,36,38,[40][41][42]46,[48][49]…”

Lotus seeds (Nelumbinis semen) as an emerging therapeutic seed: A comprehensive review

“…It reduced the intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test by 12.5% and 15% respectively. It also increased the expression of PPAR‐γ, GLUT4 protein, and decrease TNF‐α protein expression (Hwang & Lee, 2020).…”