Ethanolic extract of root from Arctium lappa L ameliorates obesity and hepatic steatosis in rats by regulating the AMPK / ACC / CPT ‐1 pathway

Abstract

Burdock (Arctium lappa L) root is eaten as a vegetable in many countries and used as an ethnomedicine because of its various pharmacological effects. The objective of this study was to investigate the underlying mechanisms of ethanolic extract of root from Arctium lappa L root (ALE) to lose weight and regulate lipid metabolism. The results showed that ALE can regulate lipid metabolism level and inhibit the weight gain of rats induced by the high‐sugar and high‐fat diet. The contents of triglyceride and cholesterol in the liver of obese rats significantly reduced, and hepatic steatosis was ameliorated. In addition, this study identified that ALE enhanced hepatic fatty acid β‐oxidation and ameliorated hepatic steatosis by activating AMPK/ACC/CPT‐1 pathway. These results indicated that ALE has a potential preventive and therapeutic effect on metabolic‐associated fatty liver disease and obesity. Practical Applications Obesity is already a global health problem. Obesity causes accumulation of triglycerides, which leads to hepatic steatosis. Long‐term steatosis causes liver damage and metabolic fatty liver disease. Plant‐derived functional foods or herbal medicines have better effects on weight loss and liver protection, which are more conducive to long‐term use with less toxic side effects. As a medicinal and edible plant material, Arctium lappa L root has the effect in losing weight. Our study showed that ethanolic extract of Arctium lappa L root effectively regulates lipid metabolism and inhibits hepatic steatosis. Arctium lappa L root may be used as a therapeutic drug and functional food raw material for obesity and fatty liver disease.

Chlorogenic Acid from Burdock Roots Ameliorates Oleic Acid-Induced Steatosis in HepG2 Cells through AMPK/ACC/CPT-1 Pathway

“…This indicates that chlorogenic acid inhibited hepatic cell injury induced by oleic acid. Therefore, this result is consistent with burdock roots protecting hepatic cells against hepatic steatosis from the damage induced by lipotoxicity [8], which also indicates that chlorogenic acid is a critical functional factor in the treatment of metabolic fatty liver disease.…”

“…For instance, 3-hydroxy-3-methyl glutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMG-CoR), glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferases (GPAT) and sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1 (SREGBP-1) are related to lipid synthesis; hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) promotes lipolysis; and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) and carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1 (CPT-1) are related to fatty acid β-oxidation, which are all regulated by AMPK. Our previous study also found that ethanol extract from burdock root can enhance the ability of fatty acid β-oxidation in the liver of obese rats by phosphorylating AMPK [8]. At the same time, AMPK is regulated by the second messenger such as cAMP and calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase beta (Ca 2+ /CaMKK 2 ); chlorogenic acid may affect the signaling pathway associated with the second messenger.…”

“…In fact, our previous study found that chlorogenic acid, known as 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid (5-CQA), is the main phenolic in burdock root in different Molecules 2023, 28, 7257 2 of 14 regions and during different picking periods [7]. In addition, our previous study found that ethanol extract from burdock root can not only reduce the body weight of rats, but also ameliorate hepatic steatosis in rats by increasing the rate of fatty acid β-oxidation in the liver of obese rats [8]. Therefore, chlorogenic acid in the ethanol extract of burdock root may be one of the key functional factors in ameliorating steatosis.…”

Hepatic polypeptide nutrient solution improves high‐cholesterol diet‐induced rats with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease by activating AMP‐activated protein kinase signaling pathway

“…Additionally, CPT‐1, a key regulator of fatty acid oxidation, is closely linked to the process of fatty acid oxidation (Liu et al., 2011 ). AMPK activation also upregulates PPARα and its downstream targets, including CPT‐1, thereby promoting fatty acid oxidation (Diniz et al., 2021 ; Ma et al., 2022 ). In our study, we observed elevated phosphorylation levels of AMPK and changes in the expression of its downstream molecules, including SREBP‐1c, PPARα, CPT‐1, and FAS, following HP treatment in HCD‐fed NAFLD rats.…”

NMR Metabolomics of Arctium lappa L., Taraxacum officinale and Melissa officinalis: A Comparison of Spontaneous and Organic Ecotypes

“…Among several officinal plants, Burdock ( Arctium lappa L.), Dandelion ( Taraxacum officinale ), and Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis ) have been used for their edible and medicinal properties [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ].…”