Blackmores Institute

Investigating the herb commonly known as ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) in mice, researchers found that an ethanol extract of Withania somnifera (WSE) significantly suppressed increases in body weight and serum lipids and lipid accumulation in the liver and adipose tissue induced by a high-fat diet (HFD).
 
 “WSE supplementation increased oxygen consumption and enhanced mitochondrial activity in brown fat and skeletal muscle in the HFD-fed mice,” the authors reported.
 
 “In addition, it promoted browning of subcutaneous fat by increasing mitochondrial uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) expression. Withaferin A (WFA), a major compound of Withania somnifera (WS), enhanced the differentiation of pre-adipocytes into beige adipocytes and oxygen consumption in C2C12 murine myoblasts. These results suggest that WSE ameliorates diet-induced obesity by enhancing energy expenditure via promoting mitochondrial function in adipose tissue and skeletal muscle, and WFA is a key regulator in this function.”
 
 According to the study, recent studies have suggested that adaptive thermogenesis is a new therapeutic approach to treating obesity which occurs mainly in brown adipose tissue (BAT) and skeletal muscle and the various phytochemicals in medicinal plants have been reported to ameliorate obesity through promoting mitochondrial biogenesis and thermogenesis in adipose tissue.
 
 “BAT is composed of multilocular adipocytes that release energy through non-shivering thermogenesis facilitated by the mitochondrial uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) and is considered a potential target for the treatment of obesity.
 
 “White adipose tissue (WAT), especially subcutaneous WAT, can transform into brown-like adipocytes in response to a thermogenesis stimulant such as cold exposure, or β3-adrenergic or peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR-γ) agonists.
 
 “Withania somnifera, also known as ashwagandha or Indian ginseng, has been traditionally used in indigenous medicine to improve chronic fatigue and promote youthful vigour. WS possesses anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, and anti-stress properties and contains diverse phytochemicals such as alkaloids, steroidal lactones, and steroids. Although previous studies have demonstrated that WS suppresses body weight gain induced by chronic stress, the underlying mechanism has yet to be explored. WS has been reported to enhance muscle activity by increasing muscle strength and mass and improving the activity of skeletal muscle implies the possibility of increasing energy expenditure,” the authors explained.
 
 The study claims its findings that WSE suppresses body weight gain and lipid accumulation in the liver and epididymis WAT induced by HFD suggests that it prevents obesity. Further, the study also suggests that the observation that WSE supplementation increased mitochondrial biogenesis-related gene expression in skeletal muscle and BAT indicates that WSE may increase the metabolic rate by improving mitochondrial activity.
 
 “WSE ameliorated diet-induced obesity by enhancing energy expenditure via improving mitochondrial activity in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue. Withaferin and withanolide, major compounds in WSE, were likely responsible for this anti-obesity effect. These data suggest that WS has potential as a new therapeutic agent for treating obesity,” the authors concluded
 
 
 Source:
 Nutrients 2020. DOI:<a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/2/431">10.3390/nu12020431</a>

The key to reducing diet-related obesity may lie in enhancing energy expenditure via improving mitochondrial activity in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue, a new study in the journal, Nutrients, reports.

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