Zyflamend, a Unique Herbal Blend, Inhibits Adipogenesis Through the Coordinated Regulation of PKA and JNK

Abstract Objectives The prevalence of obesity and its comorbidities has sparked a worldwide concern to address rates of adipose tissue accrual. Recent studies have demonstrated a novel role of Zyflamend, a natural herbal extract, in regulating lipid metabolism in several cancer cell lines through the activation of the AMPK signaling pathway. Yet, the role of Zyflamend in adipogenic differentiation and lipid metabolism remains largely unexplored. The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of Zyflamend on white 3T3-MBX pre-adipocyte differentiation and elucidate the molecular mechanisms. Methods 3T3-MBX pre-adipocytes were treated with Zyflamend, and the expression of various key adipogenic and lipolytic regulators was examined. We also investigated the effects of Zyflamend on pre-adipocyte survival, proliferation, and cell cycle. Results Zyflamend treatment altered cell cycle progression, attenuated proliferation, and increased cell death of 3T3-MBX pre-adipocytes. In addition, treatment with Zyflamend inhibited lipid accumulation during the differentiation of 3T3-MBX cells, consistent with decreased expression of lipogenic genes and increased lipolysis. Mechanistically, Zyflamend-induced alterations in adipogenesis were mediated, at least in part, through the activation of AMPK, PKA, and JNK. Inhibition of AMPK partially reversed Zyflamend-induced inhibition of differentiation, whereas the inhibition of either JNK or PKA fully restored adipocyte differentiation and decreased lipolysis. Conclusions Taken together, the present study demonstrates that Zyflamend, as a novel anti-adipogenic bioactive mix, inhibits adipocyte differentiation through the activation of PKA and JNK pathways.Our findings suggest that Zyflamend supplementation might help in developing novel anti-obesity therapeutic strategies. Funding Sources This work was supported by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (R00DK100736) to A.B.