Isolation of active Averrhoa bilimbi phytocompounds corresponding to brown adipocytes stimulation [version 1; peer review: 2 approved with reservations]

Averrhoa bilimbi is a fast-growing tree widely found in countries of tropical Asia. Due to easy accessibility and traditional knowledge, various parts of this plant are adopted as folk medicine and a natural health remedy. Recently, beneficial effects of bilimbi in combating obesity including its potential antihyperlipidemic and hypoglycemic activities have been discovered. This paper reports the successive isolation and purification of bioactive compounds from the leaf of bilimbi that corresponds to brown adipocyte activation. Bilimbi ethanolic extract underwent bioassay-guided partitioning and fractionation. The n-hexane partition exhibited highest brown adipogenesis potential via adipomyocytes differentiation. Further isolation of this active partition yielded 10 fractions. Active fractions with the highest brown adipogenesis potential were further evaluated via the adipomyocytes assay. Chemical structures of the constituents were elucidated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Major phytocomponents in the n-hexane partition include hexadecanoic acid, phytol, 9-Octadecenoic acid (Z)- and squalene.