The Synergistic Action of Metformin and Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fischer Extract Alleviates Metabolic Disorders in Mice with Diet-Induced Obesity

Min Kyeong Hong, Youngji Han, Hae Jin Park, Mi Rae Shin, Seong Soo Roh, Eun Young Kwon

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

9 Scopus citations

Abstract

Metformin, an antidiabetic drug, and Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fischer (GU), an oriental medicinal herb, have been reported to exert anti-obesity effects. This study investigated the synergistic action of metformin and GU in improving diet-induced obesity. Mice were fed a normal diet, a high-fat diet (HFD), or HFD + 0.015% GU water extract for 8 weeks. The HFD and GU groups were then randomly divided into two groups and fed the following diets for the next 8 weeks: HFD with 50 mg/kg metformin (HFDM) and GU with 50 mg/kg metformin (GUM). GUM prevented hepatic steatosis and adiposity by suppressing expression of mRNAs and enzyme activities related to lipogenesis in the liver and upregulating the expression of adipocyte mRNAs associated with fatty acid oxidation and lipolysis, and as a result, improved dyslipidemia. Moreover, GUM improved glucose homeostasis by inducing glucose uptake in tissues and upregulating mRNA expressions associated with glycolysis in the liver and muscle through AMP-activated protein kinase activation. GUM also improved inflammation by increasing antioxidant activity in the liver and erythrocytes and decreasing inflammatory cytokine productions. Here, we demonstrate that GU and metformin exert synergistic action in the prevention of obesity and its complications.

Original languageEnglish
Article number936
JournalInternational Journal of Molecular Sciences
Volume24
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 2023

Keywords

  • combined treatment
  • Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fischer
  • metformin
  • obesity
  • type 2 diabetes mellitus

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