Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate Reduces Fat Accumulation in Caenorhabditis elegans

Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is a polyphenol that is abundant in green tea. It has been reported that consumption of EGCG can contribute to weight loss, however, the underlying mechanism is not fully understood. To determine how EGCG reduces body fat, an organism model Caenorhabditis elegans was used, which is a useful animal model system in exploring crucial biological mechanisms that are readily applicable to humans. In this study, different strains were raised for two days on Escherichia coli OP 50 diet with or without 100 μM and 200 μM EGCG treatment. The current results showed that 100 μM and 200 μM EGCG significantly reduced the triglyceride content of wild type worms by 10% and 20% (P-value<0.01 and <0.001, respectively) compared to the control, respectively, without affecting its food intake and physiological behaviors. Additionally, EGCG could effectively reduce fat accumulation in C. elegans dependent on atgl-1 (encoding a homolog of adipose triglyceride lipase), which suggests that EGCG controls the body fat by inhibiting adipogenesis.