Beta-caryophyllene has the potential efficacy in preventing and ameliorating nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and its associated metabolic disorders. - GreenMedInfo Summary
β-Caryophyllene attenuates palmitate-induced lipid accumulation through AMPK signaling by activating CB2 receptor in human HepG2 hepatocytes.
Mol Nutr Food Res. 2016 Oct ;60(10):2228-2242. Epub 2016 Jun 16. PMID: 27234712
Ryosuke Kamikubo
SCOPE: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is currently the most common chronic liver disease worldwide, characterized by excessive hepatic lipid accumulation without significant ethanol consumption. We have performed a screening for medicinal foods that inhibit hepatocytic lipid accumulation through activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), which is a critical regulator of the hepatic lipid metabolism.
METHODS AND RESULTS: We found that clove (Syzygium aromaticum), which is commonly used as a spice, markedly inhibits palmitate-inducible lipid accumulation in human HepG2 hepatocytes. Analyses of the clove extracts found thatβ-caryophyllene, an orally-active cannabinoid, is the principal suppressor of the lipid accumulation, and stimulates the phosphorylation of AMPK and acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 (ACC1). Our data also showed that β-caryophyllene prevents the translocation of sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c(SREBP-1c) into the nucleus and forkhead box protein O1 (FoxO1) into the cytoplasm through AMPK signaling, and consequently, induces a significant downregulation of fatty acid synthase (FAS) and upregulation of adipose triglyceride lipase, respectively. Moreover, we demonstrated that the β-caryophyllene-induced activation of AMPK could be mediated by the cannabinoid type 2 receptor-dependent Ca2+ signaling pathway.
CONCLUSION: Our results suggest thatβ-caryophyllene has the potential efficacy in preventing and ameliorating nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and its associated metabolic disorders.