Prenylated Coumaric Acids from Artemisia scoparia Beneficially Modulate Adipogenesis

Two new diprenylated coumaric acid isomers (1a and 1b) and two known congeners, capillartemisin A (2) and B (3), were isolated from Artemisia scoparia as bioactive markers using bioactivity-guided HPLC fractionation. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic means, including 1D and 2D NMR methods and LC-MS, with their purity assessed by 1D 1H pure shift qNMR spectroscopic analysis. The bioactivity of compounds was evaluated by enhanced accumulation of lipids, as measured using Oil Red O staining, and by increased expression of several adipocyte marker genes, including adiponectin in 3T3-L1 adipocytes relative to untreated negative controls. Compared to the plant's 80% EtOH extract, these purified compounds showed significant but still weaker inhibition of TNFα-induced lipolysis in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. This suggests that additional bioactive substances are responsible for the multiple metabolically favorable effects on adipocytes observed with Artemisia scoparia extract.