Effects of Hederacoside C and α-Hederin on Fat Browning in 3T3-L1 Adipocytes

White adipose tissue (WAT) stores excess energy in the form of triglycerides, whereas brown adipose tissue (BAT) expends energy.Consequently, the browning of WAT has emerged as a promising strategy to alleviate obesity.Hederacoside C (HDC) and α-hederin (AHD), compounds derived from Hedera helix (H.helix), exhibit numerous bioactivities.Although numerous studies have been conducted on H. helix, research on its effects related to fat browning remains limited.In this study, we investigated the fat browning effects of HDC and AHD on 3T3-L1 adipocytes.As a result, HDC and AHD tended to reduce lipid accumulation and promoted the expression of fat browning-related markers, including uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1α (PGC-1α), both of which are closely associated with thermogenesis.In addition, both compounds increased the expression of b-oxidation markers such as Aco1, Cpt1, and Ppara.Notably, HDC enhanced adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) phosphorylation, which is a key regulator of thermogenesis, mitochondrial biogenesis, and b-oxidation, suggesting a potential involvement of AMPK signaling in HDC-induced adipocyte browning.In conclusion, these findings provide a basis for further investigation of HDC and AHD as potential modulators of adipocyte browning and energy metabolism.