5,7-Dihydroxy-6-geranylflavanone improves insulin sensitivity through PPARα/γ dual activation.

In the present study, we demonstrate that 5,7-dihydroxy-6-geranylflavanone (DGF) isolated from Amorpha fruticosa (A. fruticosa) is a novel peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)α/γ dual agonist which may be used to improve insulin sensitivity. The extract from A. fruticosa increased the transcriptional activity of both PPARα and PPARγ which was, in part, driven by the active ingredient DGF. Treatment with DGF markedly enhanced the adipogenesis of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes, which was comparable to the effect of the PPARγ agonist, troglitazone. In addition, DGF was found to enhance fatty acid oxidation and glucose utilization through the dual activation of PPARα/γ. In addition treatment with DGF led to an improvement in insulin sensitivity, resulting in enhanced glucose uptake in muscle cells. The findings of our study data suggest that DGF may be used as potential therapeutic agent in the treatment of type 2 diabetes and related metabolic disorders by enhancing glucose and lipid metabolism.