Anti-Obesity Effects of a Mixture of Atractylodes macrocephala and Amomum villosum Extracts on 3T3-L1 Adipocytes and High-Fat Diet-Induced Obesity in Mice

Since the potential of (3:1) mixtures of Atractylodes macrocephala and Amomum villosum extracts has been proposed in the management of obesity, the purpose of present study was to investigate the effects of AME:AVE (3:1) mixture on weight loss, obesity-related biochemical parameters, adipogenesis and lipogenesis related proteins in 3T3-L1 cells and HFD-induced obesity in a mouse model. Treatment with AME:AVE (3:1) mixture inhibited lipid accumulation. Furthermore, the treatment with 75 and 150 mg/kg of AME:AVE (3:1) significantly decreased the body weight gain, white adipose tissue (WAT) weight, and plasma glucose level in HFD-induced obese mice. Moreover, treatment with 75 and 150 mg/kg AME:AVE (3:1) also significantly lowered the size of adipocytes in adipose tissue and reduced the lipid accumulation in liver. AME:AVE (3:1) treatment significantly decreased the expression of proteins related to adipogenesis and lipogenesis in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and WAT of HFD-induced obese mice. These results suggest that the AME:AVE herbal mixture (3:1) has anti-obesity effects, which may be elicited by regulating the expression of adipogenesis and lipogenesis-related proteins in adipocytes and WAT in HFD-induced obesity in mice.