Antiobesity, hepatoprotective and anti-hyperglycemic effects of a pharmaceutical formulation containing Cecropia pachystachya Trécul in mice fed with a hypercaloric diet

Mara Lúcia de Campos; Marina Bento de Castro; Artur Domingos Campos; Maria Fernanda Fernandes; Jéssica Leiras Mota Conegundes; Matheus Nehrer Rodrigues; Fernanda Lins Brandão Mügge; Aristóbolo Mendes da Silva; Céphora Maria Sabarense; Maria Christina Marques Nogueira Castañon; Ana Eliza Andreazzi; Elita Scio

doi:10.1016/j.jep.2021.114418

Antiobesity, hepatoprotective and anti-hyperglycemic effects of a pharmaceutical formulation containing Cecropia pachystachya Trécul in mice fed with a hypercaloric diet

J Ethnopharmacol. 2021 Nov 15:280:114418. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2021.114418. Epub 2021 Jul 13.

Affiliations

¹ Laboratory of Bioactive Natural Products, Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Biological Science, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, 36036 900, MG, Brazil. Electronic address: [email protected].
² Laboratory of Bioactive Natural Products, Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Biological Science, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, 36036 900, MG, Brazil. Electronic address: [email protected].
³ Laboratory of Bioactive Natural Products, Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Biological Science, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, 36036 900, MG, Brazil. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁴ Laboratory of Bioactive Natural Products, Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Biological Science, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, 36036 900, MG, Brazil. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁵ Laboratory of Bioactive Natural Products, Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Biological Science, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, 36036 900, MG, Brazil. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁶ Department of Morphology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, 36036 900, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁷ Laboratory of Inflammatory Genes, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, 31270-901, MG, Brazil. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁸ Laboratory of Inflammatory Genes, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, 31270-901, MG, Brazil. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁹ Department of Nutrition, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, 36036 900, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil. Electronic address: [email protected].
¹⁰ Department of Morphology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, 36036 900, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil. Electronic address: [email protected].
¹¹ Department of Physiology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, 36036 900, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil. Electronic address: [email protected].
¹² Laboratory of Bioactive Natural Products, Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Biological Science, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, 36036 900, MG, Brazil. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 34271111
DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2021.114418

Abstract

Ethnopharmacological relevance: The leaves of Cecropia pachystachya Trécul (Urticaceae), known as embaúba, are used as hypoglycemic and for weight reduction in Brazilian traditional medicine.

Aim of the study: This study investigated the effects of a pharmaceutical formulation (ECP20) containing C. pachystachya extract on some metabolic alterations caused by a hypercaloric diet in mice.

Material and methods: Mice were randomly fed with a standard or hypercaloric diet and orally treated with ECP20 or vehicle for 13 weeks. Subsequently, adiposity, glucose intolerance, and the presence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease were assessed. Adipose tissue and liver were collected after euthanasia and frozen at -80 °C for histological and antioxidant analyzes. The effect of ECP20 on the differentiation of 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes was also investigated.

Results: Animals treated with ECP20 showed less weight gain, reduced glycemia, glucose tolerance restored, and hepatoprotective effect. Also, ECP20 presented significant in vivo antioxidant activity. Treatment of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes with ECP20 did not inhibit cellular differencing.

Conclusions: Therefore, ECP20 presented promising effects in the control of obesity and related disorders. Considering that glucose intolerance and hyperglycemia are strong evidence for the development of type 2 diabetes, the findings corroborated the traditional use of C. pachystachya to treat this disease. The chlorogenic acid and the flavonoids orientin and iso-orientin, present in the extract, might be involved in the activities found.

Keywords: Antioxidant; Cecropia pachystachya; Obesity; Type 2 diabetes.

MeSH terms

Animals
Anti-Obesity Agents / chemistry
Anti-Obesity Agents / pharmacology*
Blood Glucose / drug effects
Cecropia Plant / chemistry*
Diet / adverse effects*
Energy Intake / drug effects*
Glucose Tolerance Test
Liver Diseases / prevention & control*
Male
Medicine, Traditional
Mice
Obesity / chemically induced
Obesity / prevention & control
Phytotherapy
Plant Extracts / chemistry
Plant Extracts / pharmacology*
Plants, Medicinal

Substances

Anti-Obesity Agents
Blood Glucose
Plant Extracts