Department of Bioresource Science, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Kobe University, Nada, Kobe, Japan.
Anim Sci J. 2009 Oct;80(5):562-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1740-0929.2009.00670.x.
Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) has been widely used in traditional medicines, and its flavonoid oil (LFO) decreases abdominal adipose tissue weight in mammals. In the present study, we investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying the decrease in abdominal adipose tissue weight by LFO. LFO significantly decreased the mRNA levels of rate-limiting enzymes in the hepatic fatty acid synthetic pathway, whereas LFO significantly increased the mRNA levels of a rate-limiting enzyme in the hepatic fatty acid oxidative pathway. LFO significantly decreased the mRNA levels of sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c) (a transcription factor that promotes hepatic fatty acid synthesis), whereas the mRNA levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-alpha (PPAR-alpha) (a transcription factor that promotes hepatic fatty acid oxidation) was significantly increased. All our findings suggest that the decrease in abdominal adipose tissue weight by LFO is mediated by the transcriptional regulation of SREBP-1c and PPAR-alpha in the liver. Thus, we infer that the natural ingredient LFO is a promising candidate for use as a feed additive to reduce abdominal fat accumulation in domestic animals.
甘草（Glycyrrhiza glabra）在传统药物中被广泛应用，其类黄酮油（LFO）可减少哺乳动物腹部脂肪组织的重量。在本研究中，我们研究了 LFO 降低腹部脂肪组织重量的分子机制。LFO 显著降低了肝内脂肪酸合成途径中限速酶的 mRNA 水平，而 LFO 显著增加了肝内脂肪酸氧化途径中限速酶的 mRNA 水平。LFO 显著降低了固醇调节元件结合蛋白-1c（SREBP-1c）（促进肝内脂肪酸合成的转录因子）的 mRNA 水平，而过氧化物酶体增殖物激活受体-α（PPAR-α）（促进肝内脂肪酸氧化的转录因子）的 mRNA 水平显著增加。我们所有的发现表明，LFO 通过对肝脏中 SREBP-1c 和 PPAR-α 的转录调控来降低腹部脂肪组织的重量。因此，我们推断天然成分 LFO 是一种很有前途的饲料添加剂，可以减少家畜腹部脂肪的积累。
