Anti-Obesity Effect of Nostoc commune Ethanol Extract In Vitro and In Vivo

Nostoc commune is an edible terrestrial blue-green alga. It has shown many beneficial effects on human health. This study aimed to investigate the phytochemical assay of N. commune ethanol extract (NEE) and its anti-obesity effects. The effect of a high-calorie diet on lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes is investigated, and a Wistar rat model is used to demonstrate the anti-obesity effect of NEE and its mechanism. The results showed that the NEE has phytochemical compounds, such as total polyphenol, total flavonoids, and total terpenoids. NEE was also shown to suppress cell proliferation and lipid accumulation (26.9%) in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. Furthermore, NEE reduced the body weight (13.5%), fat tissue weight (13.3%), and the serum FFA (19.4%), TG (14.2%), TC (11.8%), and LDL-C (16.4%) of rats. In histopathology, NEE was shown to diminish the size of adipocytes and hepatic lipid droplets. The NEE downregulated the mRNA expression of adipogenesis (PPAR-γ, SREBP-1c) and lipid lysis-related genes (ATGL, HSL) in epididymal adipose tissue. The NEE also upregulated the mRNA expression of β-oxidation related genes (AMPK, CPT-1, PPAR-α) in the liver. Overall, this study suggests NEE has the potential to be developed as a functional food for anti-obesity.