Anti-adipogenic and anti-oxidant effects of a standardised extract of Moro blood oranges (Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck) during adipocyte differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes

Abstract

Particular features in the pulp of blood oranges are marked levels of anthocyanin, a class of polyphenolic compounds well known to exert numerous health-promoting actions on human wellbeing including anti-obesity effects. In this study, we investigated in vitro, the antioxidant and anti-adipogenic activities of Morosil^®, a standardised extract of Moro blood oranges. During adipocyte differentiation, 3T3-L1 cells were treated with concentrations of extract containing 2.5, 5, 10, 25 μM of anthocyanins. After seven days of treatment and differentiation, we measured reactive oxygen species production, non-proteic thiol groups content, adipokine secretion and triglyceride accumulation together with mRNA expression of adipogenic transcription factors such as PPARγ, C/EBPα, SREBP-1c. Furthermore, both ACCα, FAS protein expression and citrate synthase activity were measured. Results show that Morosil^® exerts antioxidant and anti-adipogenic activities during adipocyte differentiation of 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords:

• Blood orange
• anthocyanins
• lipogenesis
• 3T3-L1 adipocyte
• PPARγ

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.