Zanthoxylum schinifolium leaf ethanol extract inhibits adipocyte differentiation through inactivation of the extracellular signal regulated kinase and phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt signaling pathways in 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes.

Zanthoxylum schinifolium is widely used as a food flavoring in east Asia. Although this plant has also been used in traditional oriental medicine for the treatment of the common cold, toothache, stomach ache, diarrhea and jaundice, its anti-obesity activity remains to be elucidated. The present study investigated the effects of ethanol extract from the leaves of Z. schinifolium (EEZS) on adipocyte differentiation, and its underlying mechanism, in 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes. The results demonstrated that EEZS effectively suppressed intracellular lipid accumulation at non-toxic concentrations, and was associated with the downregulation of several adipocyte-specific transcription factors, including peroxisome proliferation-activity receptor γ (PPARγ), CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP)α and C/EBPβ, in a concentration-dependent manner. Furthermore, it was observed that EEZS markedly inactivated the extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) and phosphatidylinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathways, which act upstream of PPARγ and C/EBPs in adipogenesis. These results suggested that EEZS inhibited lipid accumulation by downregulating the major transcription factors involved in the pathway of adipogenesis, including PPARγ, C/EBPα and C/EBPβ, via regulation of the ERK and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways in 3T3-L1 adipocyte differentiation. This indicated the potential use of EEZS as an anti-obesity agent.