Leucosceptroid B from glandular trichomes of Leucosceptrum canum reduces fat accumulation in Caenorhabditis elegans through suppressing unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis

Chin J Nat Med. 2019 Dec;17(12):892-899. doi: 10.1016/S1875-5364(19)30109-8.

Abstract

Obesity that is highly associated with numerous metabolic diseases has become a global health issue nowdays. Plant sesterterpenoids are an important group of natural products with great potential; thus, their bioactivities deserve extensive exploration. RNA-seq analysis indicated that leucosceptroid B, a sesterterpenoid previously discovered from the glandular trichomes of Leucosceptrum canum, significantly regulated the expression of 10 genes involved in lipid metabolism in Caenorhabditis elegans. Furthermore, leucosceptroid B was found to reduce fat storage, and downregulate the expression of two stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) genes fat-6 and fat-7, and a fatty acid elongase gene elo-2 in wild-type C. elegans. In addition, leucosceptroid B significantly decreased fat accumulation in both fat-6 and fat-7 mutant worms but did not affect the fat storage of fat-6; fat-7 double mutant. These findings indicated that leucosceptroid B reduced fat storage depending on the downregulated expression of fat-6, fat-7 and elo-2 and thereby inhibiting the biosynthesis of the corresponding unsaturated fatty acid. These findings provide new insights into the development and utilization of plant sesterterpenoids as potential antilipemic agents.

Keywords: Antilipemic agent; Caenorhabditis elegans; Fat accumulation; Fatty acid biosynthesis; Leucosceptroid B; Leucosceptrum canum; Sesterterpenoid.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Caenorhabditis elegans / drug effects*
  • Caenorhabditis elegans / genetics
  • Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / biosynthesis*
  • Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / genetics*
  • Lamiaceae / chemistry*
  • Sesterterpenes / pharmacology*
  • Trichomes / chemistry*

Substances

  • Fatty Acids, Unsaturated
  • Sesterterpenes
  • leucosceptroid B