Aqueous extract of Antrodia cinnamomea reduced high-fat diet-induced obesity in mice and suppressed adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 cells

This study examined the anti-obesity and anti-adipogenic effects of Antrodia cinnamomea. Oral administration of aqueous extract of A. cinnamomea (ACW) significantly reduced high-fat diet-induced body weight gain and relative perirenal and mesenteric fat weight in C57BL/6J mice. Administration of ACW significantly reduced serum insulin, leptin, aspartate aminotransferase levels, HOMA-IR index, and hepatic cholesterol and triacylglycerol levels. Next, investigation of whether ACW and its polysaccharides (PS) and non-polysaccharides (NPS) subfractions possess anti-adipogenic action was conducted. Evidence showed that ACW, PS and NPS significantly inhibited lipid deposits in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Both ACW and NPS significantly inhibited mitotic clonal expansion process of adipocyte differentiation. ACW and NPS also significantly decreased the expressions of PPARγ, C/EBPα, aP2 and FAS genes, while PS markedly inhibited PPARγ and aP2 gene expression. Our data indicated that ACW inhibits preadipocyte differentiation and adipogenesis. These results suggested that ACW may have therapeutic potential for obesity and related metabolic disorders.