Butein, a flavonoid with the potential to be used as anti-obesity agent, is found in annatto seeds and lacquer tree, which are used as food additives and nutraceuticals. However, little is known about the mechanisms of action of butein on lipogenesis, which is conserved across organisms. Caenorhabditis elegans is a multi-organ nematode used as an animal model in obesity research. The goal of the current study was to investigate the effects of butein on lipogenesis in C. elegans. Nematodes were fed with Escherichia coli OP50 and treated with butein or 0.1% dimethyl sulfoxide (vehicle), then triglycerides, gene expression linked with lipogenesis and nematode behavior were measured. Butein at 70 μM reduced body fat by 27% compared to the control without altering feeding or locomotor behavior, which indicate food intake and energy expenditure, respectively. The reduced fat accumulation by butein was associated with the downregulation of fasn-1 and fat-7, the lipogenesis-related homologs of fatty acid synthase (FASN) and stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD), respectively. Furthermore, fat-7 was identified as a genetic requirement for butein’s fat-lowering effects in C. elegans. These results suggest that butein inhibits lipogenesis via FASN-1 and FAT-7 in C. elegans.

Butein inhibits lipogenesis in Caenorhabditis elegans

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

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ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.