sapogenins and Body-Weight

Obesity is one of the most important health problems worldwide. Panax ginseng has been reported to exert anti-obesity effect. However, the active constituents and the underlying mechanism remained uncertain. This study uncovered the anti-obesity effect of protopanaxadiol (PPD) and its potential mechanism. To investigate the anti-obesity effect of PPD, high-fat diet induced obesity (DIO) C57BL/6 mice were treated with PPD by both intraperitoneal injection (i.p.) and oral administration. Body weight and food intake were recorded. Energy expenditure was measured by CLAMS metabolic cages. For mechanism study, C-Fos in the hypothalamus of the mice was stained following the intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection of PPD. Our results showed that with both injection and feeding, PPD reduced body weight, inhibited food intake, increased energy expenditure and improved liver damage in DIO mice. Mechanistically, i.c.v. injection of PPD inhibited feeding and increased C-Fos expression in paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVH). The results suggest that PPD may reduce body weight of DIO mice via the activation of PVH neurons and PPD is a potential therapeutic candidate for the treatment of obesity.

Topics: Animals; Body Weight; Diet, High-Fat; Energy Metabolism; Liver; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Neurons; Obesity; Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus; Sapogenins

Protopanaxatriol saponin (PPT) has excellent anti-cancer, anti-diabetes, and anti-anemia effects, but its effect on intestinal bacteria has rarely been studied. In this study, we investigated whether PPT has the ability to improve intestinal health in antibiotic-treated mice. Model mice were constructed using a broad-spectrum antibiotic, cephalosporin. The composition of the gut microbiota and relative concentration of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), short-chain fatty acid receptor proteins (GPR41, GPR43 and GPR109A), tight junction components (ZO-1 and occludin) and pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, IL-22 and IFN-γ) were determined. The results showed that PPT improved the composition of the gut microbiota, increased the concentration of SCFAs as well as receptor proteins and tight junction proteins, and decreased the pro-inflammatory cytokines. These findings indicate that PPT has a protective effect on intestinal microbes and enhances the integrity of the intestinal barrier as well as alleviates colonic inflammation in antibiotic-treated mice.

Topics: Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Bacteria; Body Weight; Cephalosporins; Colon; Cytokines; Dysbiosis; Fatty Acids, Volatile; Feces; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Inflammation; Intestines; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Models, Animal; Occludin; Protective Agents; Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; Sapogenins; Saponins; Tight Junction Proteins; Zonula Occludens-1 Protein

Estrogens are well known for their capacity to promote bone maturation and at high doses to induce growth plate closure and thereby stop further growth. High-dose estrogen treatment has therefore been used to limit growth in extremely tall girls. However, recent data suggest that this treatment may have severe side effects, including increased risk of cancer and reduced fertility. We hypothesized that estrogenic effects in bone are mediated via ERα signaling. Twelve-week-old ovariectomized female C57BL/6 mice were subcutaneously injected for 4 weeks with E2 or selective ERα (PPT) or ERβ (DPN) agonists. After killing, tibia and femur lengths were measured, and growth plate morphology was analyzed. E2- and PPT-treated mice had shorter tibiae and femur bones when compared to vehicle-treated controls, whereas animals treated with DPN had similar bone lengths compared to controls. Growth plate height and hypertrophic zone height were reduced in animals treated with E2 or PPT but not in those treated with DPN, supporting that the effect was mediated via ERα. Moreover, PCNA staining revealed suppressed proliferation of chondrocytes in the tibia growth plate in PPT- or E2-treated mice compared to controls. Our data show that estrogenic effects on bone growth and growth plate maturation are mainly mediated via ERα. Our findings may have direct implications for the development of new and more selective treatment modalities of extreme tall stature using selective estrogen receptor modulators that may have low side effects than high-dose E2 treatment.

Topics: Animals; Apoptosis; Body Weight; Bone Development; Cell Proliferation; Chondrocytes; Estradiol; Estrogen Receptor alpha; Female; Femur; Ginsenosides; Mice; Nitriles; Ovariectomy; Sapogenins; Tibia; Uterus

Hecogenin is a steroidal sapogenin plays important role in treatment of variety of inflammatory diseases. We have investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of Hecogenin (50 µg/animal) (HG), Fluticasone (50 µg/animal) (FC) and Hecogenin+Fluticasone (HG+FC) combination (25 µg/animal, each) on various inflammatory models. The anti-inflammatory effect of HG, FC and HG+FC combination was studied on % inhibition of dry weight of granuloma tissue, Δ ear weight, myeloperoxidase assay, serum pro-inflammatory cytokines, colon weight to length ratio, macroscopic lesions, adhesion score, diarrhoea score and histopathological analysis of ear and colon tissue on Cotton pellets induced granuloma in rats, Croton oil induced ear edema in mice and TNBS induced granuloma in rats. Topical administration of HG and its combination with FC showed significant decrease (p<0.001) in the % inhibition of dry weight of granuloma tissue, Δ ear weight, myeloperoxidase level, serum pro-inflammatory cytokines levels, colon weigh to length ratio as compared with Cotton pellets treated with acetone groups and Croton oil treated animals. Further histopathological analysis of ear tissue showed significant decrease in dermal thickness and epidermal hyperplasia and colon tissue showed reduction of edema, infiltration of inflammatory cells and normalization of crypt structure compared to DC animals. Thus, the findings of present study suggest the possible role of HG in the treatment of inflammation by reducing the dose of FC in combination with HG.

Topics: Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Body Weight; Colon; Cytokines; Disease Models, Animal; Fluticasone; Inflammation; Mice; Peroxidase; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Sapogenins

To investigate the protective effects of protopanaxadiol-type ginsenoside (PDG) and its metabolite ginsenoside M1 (G-M1) on carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4))-induced chronic liver injury in ICR mice, we carried out conversion of protopanaxadiol-type ginsenosides to ginsenoside M1 using snailase. The optimum time for the conversion was 24 h at a constant pH of 4.5 and an optimum temperature of 50 °C. The transformation products were identified by high-performance liquid chromatography and electrospray ion-mass spectrometry. Subsequently, most of PDG was decomposed and converted into G-M1 by 24 h post-reaction. During the study on hepatoprotective in a mice model of chronic liver injury, PDG or G-M1 supplement significantly ameliorated the CCl(4)-induced liver lesions, lowered the serum levels of select hepatic enzyme markers (alanine aminotransferase, ALT, and aspartate aminotransferase, AST) and malondialdehyde and increased the activity of superoxide dismutase in liver. Histopathology of the liver tissues showed that PDG and G-M1 attenuated the hepatocellular necrosis and led to reduction of inflammatory cell infiltration. Therefore, the results of this study show that PDG and G-M1 can be proposed to protect the liver against CCl(4)-induced oxidative injury in mice, and the hepatoprotective effect might be attributed to amelioration of oxidative stress.

Topics: Alanine Transaminase; Animals; Antioxidants; Aspartate Aminotransferases; Biotransformation; Body Weight; Carbon Tetrachloride; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Chronic Disease; Ginsenosides; Liver; Male; Malondialdehyde; Mice; Mice, Inbred ICR; Organ Size; Protective Agents; Sapogenins; Snails; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization; Superoxide Dismutase; Tissue Extracts

A previous study demonstrated that ginseng crude saponins prevent obesity induced by a high-fat diet in rats. Ginseng crude saponins are known to contain a variety of bioactive saponins. The present study investigated and compared the antiobesity activity of protopanaxadiol (PD) and protopanaxatriol (PT) type saponins, major active compounds isolated from crude saponins. Male 4-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats were fed with normal diet (N) or high-fat diet (HF). After 5 weeks, the HF diet group was subdivided into the control HF diet, HF diet-PD and HF diet-PT group (50 mg/kg/day, 3 weeks, i.p.). Treatment with PD and PT in the HF diet group reduced the body weight, total food intake, fat contents, serum total cholesterol and leptin to levels equal to or below the N diet group. The hypothalamic expression of orexigenic neuropeptide Y was significantly decreased with PD or PT treatment, whereas that of anorexigenic cholecystokinin was increased, compared with the control HF diet group. In addition, PD type saponins had more potent antiobesity properties than PT saponins, indicating that PD-type saponins are the major components contributing to the antiobesity activities of ginseng crude saponins. The results suggest that the antiobesity activity of PD and PT type saponins may result from inhibiting energy gain, normalizing hypothalamic neuropeptides and serum biochemicals related to the control of obesity.

Topics: Animals; Anti-Obesity Agents; Body Weight; Cholecystokinin; Cholesterol; Eating; Hypothalamus; Leptin; Male; Neuropeptide Y; Obesity; Panax; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Sapogenins; Triglycerides

Estrogens exert many of their behavioral effects by binding to nuclear estrogen receptor (ER) proteins, ERalpha and ERbeta. Recent studies involving ER knockout mice and selective ER agonists suggest that estradiol's anorexigenic effect is mediated via activation of ERalpha. To investigate this hypothesis, we examined whether the presumptive ERalpha antagonist, MPP, could block estradiol's anorexigenic effect. In the first series of experiments, the effects of MPP on food intake and uterine weight were monitored in ovariectomized (OVX) rats treated with either a physiological dose of estradiol benzoate (EB) or a selective ERalpha agonist (PPT). In the final experiment, food intake was monitored following acute administration of MPP in ovarian-intact (cycling) female rats. Contrary to our hypothesis, MPP failed to attenuate either EB's or PPT's ability to decrease food intake and increase uterine weight in OVX rats. However, in ovarian-intact rats, a similar regimen of MPP treatment attenuated the phasic decrease in food intake that is associated with estrus. We conclude that MPP may be a useful tool to investigate the behavioral actions of endogenous estradiol, but may have limited utility in studying the behavioral effects of exogenous estradiol in OVX rats.

Topics: 1-Methyl-4-phenylpyridinium; Animals; Behavior, Animal; Body Weight; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Eating; Estradiol; Estrogen Receptor alpha; Female; Ginsenosides; Menstrual Cycle; Organ Size; Ovariectomy; Rats; Rats, Long-Evans; Sapogenins; Uterus

In this study, three steroidal sapogenins (Delta3 diosgenin, diosgenin, and pennogenin) and the phytosterols, stigmasterol and beta-sitosterol were isolated from Jamaican bitter yam, Dioscorea polygonoides. Their effects on fasting blood glucose and intestinal amylase and ATPases in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats were studied. The diabetic rats (fed supplemented and unsupplemented diets) lost weight significantly compared to the normal group. There was a significant increase in the activity of alpha-amylase in the proximal region of the small intestinal mucosa of diabetic rats fed sapogenin extract or commercial diosgenin. However, this did not result in increased fasting blood glucose. Instead, supplementation of the diet with bitter yam sapogenin extract significantly decreased fasting blood glucose compared to the diabetic group. Supplementation of the diet with bitter yam sapogenin extract or commercial diosgenin significantly reduced Na+-K+-ATPase activity in all three regions compared to the diabetic control group. Commercial diosgenin supplementation resulted in a significant increase in Ca2+ ATPase activity in proximal region compared to the diabetic control and bitter yam sapogenin extract groups. The effect of bitter yam sapogenin extract or commercial diosgenin on intestinal Na+-K+-ATPase activity could account for their hypoglycemic properties. However, there was adverse effect on the body weight.

Topics: Adenosine Triphosphatases; Amylases; Animals; Blood Glucose; Body Weight; Calcium-Transporting ATPases; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental; Dioscorea; Eating; Hypoglycemic Agents; Intestines; Rats; Sapogenins; Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase; Steroids

The effects of supplementation of a Quillaja saponin (QS) mixture in the diets of tilapia have been studied using a respirometer system that allowed feeding and continuous measurement of oxygen consumption of individual fish. Five fish each were given control diet (C group) and control diet supplemented with 150 mg kg(-1) (S150 group) or 300 mg kg(-1) (S300 group) QS. At the end of 14 weeks the weight gain of the S300 group was significantly higher than control (P<0.05) whereas that of the S150 group had an intermediate value. The S150 group had a higher growth rate (P=0.05) after the first 3 weeks of feeding with the experimental diets, compared to the other two groups. At the end of the experiment the S300 group had significantly higher (P<0.05) average values for energy retention, apparent lipid conversion, carcass fat, energy and significantly lower (P<0.05) average values for apparently unutilised energy and carcass ash content compared to the C group. The corresponding values of the S150 group were intermediate between the C and S300 groups. One out of two female fish in the S150 group and both female fish in the S300 group never produced eggs during the entire 14-week experimental period. Contrarily, all three female fish in the control group and one out of the two female fish in the S150 group regularly produced eggs, at a rate of approximately once in every 14 days. The muscle cholesterol level in the S300 group was significantly higher than that of the C group. Possible mechanisms of action of the dietary saponins are discussed.

Topics: Animals; Body Weight; Cholesterol; Dietary Supplements; Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy; Female; Lipid Metabolism; Muscle, Skeletal; Oleanolic Acid; Oocytes; Oxygen Consumption; Proteins; Reproduction; Respiratory Transport; Sapogenins; Tilapia; Weight Gain

In four trials, steer calves were received in the feedlot, processed and fed diets supplemented with soybean meal (SBM), 1% urea (UR) or 1% urea plus sarsaponin (S) over a 28-d period. In trials 1 and 2, the feeding period was extended to approximately 62 d, in which steers were fed a common (SBM) diet the last 34 d. In trials 3 and 4, a SBM plus S diet treatment was included. During the first 28 d (four trial summary) daily gains of steers fed urea plus S (.74 kg) were intermediate to and significantly different from gains of steers fed SBM (.84 kg) or UR (.66 kg) diets. However, at the end of the 62-d feeding period (two trial summary) daily gains, feed intakes and feed efficiency did not differ (P greater than .05) among treatments. No significant improvements in performance were found in steers fed SBM diets supplemented with S. In swine trials, pigs were fed diets containing no additive, 63 mg S X kg-1, 55 mg chlortetracycline (C) X kg-1 or S plus C in a grower-finisher (GF) and grower (G) trial. In the GF trial, overall efficiency of feed conversion was improved (P less than .05) by feeding S or S plus C. In the G trial, daily gains and intakes were greatest for pigs fed S plus C and differed (P less than .1) from those of pigs fed S or C in the diet. Compared with feeding S or C alone, gain and intake of growing pigs were stimulated to a greater extent when S was fed in combination with C. Feeding S with or without C improved efficiency of feed conversion in finishing pigs.

Topics: Animal Feed; Animals; Body Weight; Cattle; Female; Male; Sapogenins; Saponins; Spirostans; Swine

The combined effects of Shosaikoto, one of the Kampohozai (Chinese traditional medicine), and prednisolone were examined for suppressive actions on pituitary adrenocortical axis function and immune response induced by prednisolone using rats and mice. The administration of Shosaikoto, 1.2 g/kg p.o., for 45 d showed a tendency to increase adrenal weight. By the combined use of Shosaikoto, 0.12 and 1.2 g/kg p.o., and prednisolone, 0.016 g/kg p.o., for 45 d, the decrease of adrenal weight induced by the treatment with prednisolone was restored. The administration of Shosaikoto, 1.2 g/kg p.o., elevated the blood corticosterone level. In the case of combined use, Shosaikoto, 0.12 and 1.2 g/kg p.o., inhibited the decrease of blood corticosterone level induced by the treatment with prednisolone, 0.004 g/kg p.o., and Shosaikoto, 1.2 g/kg p.o., inhibited the decrease of blood corticosterone level induced by the treatment with prednisolone, 0.016 g/kg p.o. On the other hand, the administration of Shosaikoto, 1.2 g/kg p.o., for 7 d reduced the number of hemolytic plaque forming cells (HPFC) in spleen cells. But, Shosaikoto, 1.2 g/kg p.o., administered for 7 d inhibited the decrease of the number of HPFC induced by the treatment with prednisolone, 0.01 and 0.03 g/kg s.c., for 3 d. Furthermore, Shosaikoto, 1.2 g/kg p.o., restored the number of rosette forming cell (RFC) which decreased by prednisolone, 0.03 g/kg s.c. The decrease of 7S HA titer of the serum by the treatment with prednisolone, 0.01 g/kg s.c., was also inhibited by the combination with Shosaikoto, 1.2 g/kg p.o.

Topics: Adrenal Glands; Animals; Body Weight; Corticosterone; Drugs, Chinese Herbal; Glycyrrhetinic Acid; Glycyrrhizic Acid; Hemagglutinins; Hemolytic Plaque Technique; Immunity; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred ICR; Oleanolic Acid; Organ Size; Pituitary-Adrenal System; Plant Extracts; Plants, Medicinal; Prednisolone; Rats; Rats, Inbred Strains; Rosette Formation; Sapogenins; Saponins; Spleen

Topics: Adrenal Glands; Animals; Body Weight; Dexamethasone; Male; Oleanolic Acid; Organ Size; Rats; Rats, Inbred Strains; Sapogenins; Saponins; Thymus Gland

Diosgenin and beta-sitosterol (1% in diet) were administered to CRJ:CD-1 male mice for 15 days, in order to examine the changes in bile acid metabolism. There were some differences between diosgenin and beta-sitosterol in their effects on diet intake, liver weight, and plasma cholesterol level. However, both phytosterols caused no statistically significant changes in body weight gain, decreased cholesterol absorption to about one-third that observed in control mice, decreased liver cholesterol level, increased fecal excretion of cholesterol, and decreased fecal excretion of bile acids. Most of the increase in fecal excretion of cholesterol occurred 2 days after the start of feeding of phytosterols and gradually declined thereafter, but the levels on day 15 were nevertheless higher than those in the control mice. The fecal excretion of bile acids decreased progressively after the treatment with phytosterols. The decrease of bile acid derived from chenodeoxycholic acid was more predominant than the decrease of those derived from cholic acid, resulting in an increase of the cholic acid/chenodeoxycholic acid ratio. The biliary cholesterol, phospholipid, and bile acid mole % ratios and the lithogenic index were not changed, but the percentages of cholic acid and its related bile acids (the cholic acid group) to the total bile acids increased and those of the chenodeoxycholic acid group decreased after the treatments. The pool size of bile acids decreased in the mice given diosgenin but not in those given beta-sitosterol. Distribution of bile acids between the gallbladder and intestine was not altered by either phytosterol.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Topics: Animals; Bile; Bile Acids and Salts; Body Weight; Cholesterol; Diet; Diosgenin; Feces; Kinetics; Liver; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred Strains; Sapogenins; Sitosterols

The effects of saikosaponin-d extracted from the roots of Bupleurum falcatum L. on carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatic injury were studied in rats. Pretreatment with saikosaponin-d produced a remarkable inhibitory action on acute hepatic injury by CCl4. A significant inhibition of lipid peroxidation induced by an acute dose of CCl4 in the liver of rats pre-treated with saikosaponin-d was also noted. Continuous injection of CCl4 caused liver cirrhosis in rats but the severity of cirrhosis was reduced in rats treated simultaneously with CCl4 and saikosaponin-d.

Topics: Animals; Body Weight; Carbon Tetrachloride Poisoning; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury; Lipid Peroxides; Male; Microsomes, Liver; Necrosis; Oleanolic Acid; Organ Size; Plants, Medicinal; Rats; Rats, Inbred Strains; Sapogenins; Saponins

Effects of saikosaponin d extracted from Bupleuri Radix on the antigranulomatous action of glucocorticoid were investigated in rats by the cotton pellet method. Saikosaponin d (0.1 mg/kg/day x 4 days) and dexamethasone (0.1 mg/kg/day x 4 days) reduced the weight of cotton-induced granuloma to 89.58% and 88.54% of the control, respectively. These antigranulomatous actions failed to show a significant difference from the control. However, the combined administration of saikosaponin d and dexamethasone produced a significant antigranulomatous action, namely, the decrease in the weight of granuloma to 62.5% of the control. While the combination of saikosaponin d and dexamethasone showed an inhibitory trend against the increase in serum triglyceride as induced by dexamethasone, the cholesterol level was elevated by the combination. The body weight was significantly reduced by the combined administration as compared with the group treated with dexamethasone alone, but no apparent difference existed in the adrenal and thymus weights between them.

Topics: Animals; Body Weight; Dexamethasone; Drug Combinations; Drug Therapy, Combination; Granuloma; Injections, Intramuscular; Lipids; Male; Oleanolic Acid; Organ Size; Plants, Medicinal; Rats; Rats, Inbred Strains; Sapogenins; Saponins

Topics: Acetylcholine; Analgesics; Animals; Behavior, Animal; Body Weight; Cold Temperature; Galvanic Skin Response; Male; Mice; Muscle Contraction; Oleanolic Acid; Rats; Sapogenins; Saponins; Sleep; Stress, Physiological