Downregulated lipid metabolism in differentiated murine adipocytes by procyanidins from defatted grape seed meal.

Recent reports have proposed possible anti-obesity mechanisms for antioxidants involving increased energy expenditure, pre-adipocyte differentiation and proliferation, decreased lipogenesis and increased lipolysis, and fat oxidation. The aim of this study was to examine and to confirm the anti-obesity effect of the oligomeric and polymeric procyanidin fractions from defatted grape seeds. The lipid metabolism-related mRNA level in the mouse preadipocytes, 3T3-L1 cells, was determined to evaluate the anti-obesity effect of the phenolic fractions from a grape seed meal. Lipid accumulation was reduced by 19% of the control level by the procyanidin fraction originating from the grape seed meal. Emerging from the effect of the treatment on HSL and LPL mRNA expression, lipolytic enzyme activity was not involved in the anti-obesity effects of CPE and FPP from the defatted grape seed meal. We tested and confirmed in this study the effect of the biological activities of oligomeric and polymeric procyanidins from the defatted grape seed meal. It is suggested from the results of this brief study that further studies would be desirable to focus on the anti-obesity effect of the purified extracts of a defatted grape seed meal.