Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) alters body fat and lean mass through sex-dependent metabolic mechanisms in Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract

There is increasing interest in the potential role of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) in changing body composition to lower body fat with increased lean mass. In this study, we examined the sex-dependent effect of EGCG on body composition, locomotion, feeding behaviour, sugar levels, and transcription levels of key regulators in lipid, carbohydrate, and energy metabolisms in Drosophila melanogaster. EGCG had no effects on body weights in both females and males, but decreased fat accumulation in females compared to the control, accompanied by a reduction in food intake. EGCG treatments increased lean mass and locomotor activity, and downregulated transcription levels of brummer (bmm), adipokinetic hormone (akh), and Drosophila insulin-like peptide 2 (dilp2), and upregulated spargel (srl) in males. In addition, EGCG decreased sugar levels in both females and males. In conclusion, EGCG promotes lean phenotype in D. melanogaster via sex-specific metabolic regulations.

Keywords:

• Epigallocatechin gallate
• EGCG
• Drosophila melanogaster
• energy homeostasis

Acknowledgements

Authors would like to thank Professor Daeyoung Kim at the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Massachusetts, Amherst for help with statistical analysis.

Disclosure statement

There is no conflict of interest associated with authors in this manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported in part by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USA. Department of Agriculture, the Massachusetts Agricultural Experiment Station and the Department of Food Science, the University of Massachusetts Amherst, under project number MAS00492.