Suppression by licorice [Glycyrrhiza glabra] flavonoids of abdominal fat accumulation and body weight gain in high-fat diet-induced obese C57BL/6J mice

• Published in: Bioscience, biotechnology, and biochemistry Vol. 71; no. 1; pp. 206 - 214
• Main Authors: Aoki, F.(Kaneka Corp., Takasago, Hyogo (Japan)), Honda, S, Kishida, H, Kitano, M, Arai, N, Tanaka, H, Yokota, S, Nakagawa, K, Asakura, T, Nakai, Y, Mae, T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Tokyo Japan Society for Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Agrochemistry 01.01.2007; Japan Society for Bioscience Biotechnology and Agrochemistry; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: ACEITES; Adipocytes, White - drug effects; ADIPOSE TISSUE; Adipose Tissue - drug effects; Adipose Tissue - metabolism; ALIMENTACION; ALIMENTATION; Animal Feed; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; BODY WEIGHT; Body Weight - drug effects; diet-induced obesity; DNA microarray; DOSAGE; DOSE; DOSIFICACION; Down-Regulation - drug effects; FEEDING; Female; FLAVONOIDE; FLAVONOIDES; FLAVONOIDS; Flavonoids - pharmacology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; GENE; GENES; Glycyrrhiza - chemistry; HUILE; licorice flavonoid; LIQUORICE; Liver - drug effects; Liver - metabolism; metabolic syndrome; MICE; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Obesity - drug therapy; Obesity - pathology; OILS; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; OVERWEIGHT; PESO CORPORAL; POIDS CORPOREL; Polymerase Chain Reaction; RATON; REGALIZ; REGLISSE; SOBREPESO; SOURIS; SURPOIDS; TEJIDO ADIPOSO; TISSU ADIPEUX; Up-Regulation - drug effects; Obesity; Suppression; Rodentia; DNA chip; Metabolism; Flavonoid; Accumulation; Syndrome; diet-induced obesity; DNA microarray; metabolic syndrome; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Diet; Mouse; Fat; licorice flavonoid
• ISSN: 0916-8451; 1347-6947
• DOI: 10.1271/bbb.60463

We applied licorice flavonoid oil (LFO) to high-fat diet-induced obese C57BL/6J mice and investigated its effect. LFO contains hydrophobic flavonoids obtained from licorice by extraction with ethanol. The oil is a mixture of medium-chain triglycerides, having glabridin, a major flavonoid of licorice, concentrated to 1.2% (w/w). Obese mice were fed on a high-fat diet containing LFO at 0 (control), 0.5%, 1.0%, or 2.0% for 8 weeks. Compared with mice in the control group, those in the 1% and 2% LFO groups efficiently reduced the weight of abdominal white adipose tissues and body weight gain. A histological examination revealed that the adipocytes became smaller and the fatty degenerative state of the hepatocytes was improved in the 2% LFO group. A DNA microarray analysis of the liver showed up-regulation of those genes for beta-oxidation and down-regulation of those for fatty acid synthesis in the 2% LFO group. These findings suggest that LFO prevented and ameliorated diet-induced obesity via the regulation of lipid metabolism-related gene expression in the liver.