Synergistic Anti-Inflammatory Effects and Efficient Weight Loss through the Combination of Chinese Herbs and Photothermal Therapy in Obesity Treatment

The global rise in obesity rates presents a pressing international challenge. Despite substantial investments and research endeavors in pharmaceutical treatments for obesity, the use of high doses over extended periods has resulted in a spectrum of difficult-to-manage side effects. In this study, we introduce a novel photothermal-pharmacotherapy approach that combines a near-infrared absorbing aggregation-induced emissive (AIE) photothermal agent with the Chinese herbal medicine, morin. The AIE photothermal agent generates heat upon laser exposure to target and eliminate adipocytes, while morin reduces reactive oxygen species levels in inguinal white adipose tissue (iWAT), the injection site, exerting antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects that mitigate potential heat-induced inflammation. Our findings reveal that morin can act as a synergistic photothermal codriving agent, enhancing adipocyte destruction. Remarkably, compared to the control group, the photothermal-pharmacotherapy group shows a 20% reduction in body weight, along with decreases of 17.9% in liver weight, 44.1% in epididymal white fat, 38.9% in mesenteric white fat, 45.7% in retroperitoneal white fat, and 68.4% in subcutaneous white fat in mice. Overall, this research underscores the efficacy of combining AIE photothermal agents with natural Chinese herbal compounds as a promising strategy for anti-inflammatory interventions and offers insights into combating obesity.