Finger Citron Extract Ameliorates Glycolipid Metabolism and Inflammation by Regulating GLP-1 Secretion via TGR5 Receptors in Obese Rats.

Finger citron (FC) is one of many traditional Chinese herbs that have been used to treat obesity. The aim of this study was to elucidate the pharmacological effects and mechanisms of FC on obese rats. Rats were fed with a high-fat diet as a model of obesity and treated with FC at three different dosages for 6 weeks. Pathology in liver tissue was observed. Glucose levels, lipids levels, and inflammatory indicators in serum were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Furthermore, the expression of protein-coupled receptor 5 (TGR5) pathway genes in rat colon tissue was detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis (RT-PCR). Our result revealed that FC alleviates obesity by reducing body weight (BW) and waist circumference, managing inflammation and improving glycolipid metabolism, liver function, and liver lipid peroxidation in vivo. In addition, the mechanism of FC on obesity is possibly the stimulation of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) secretion by activating the TGR5 pathway in intestinal endocrine cells. Our studies highlight the obesity reduction effects of FC and one of the mechanisms may be the activation of the TGR5 pathway in intestinal endocrine cells.