IN VITRO EVALUATION OF THE ANTI-OBESITY POTENTIAL OF CRASSULA OVATA STEM EXTRACT IN 3T3-L1 ADIPOCYTES

AbstractObesity is a major metabolic disorder associated with excessive lipid accumulation andadipokine dysregulation. The present study investigated the in vitro anti-obesity potential ofCrassula ovata stem extract using 3T3-L1 preadipocyte and adipocyte models, focusing oncytotoxicity, lipid accumulation, and adiponectin secretion. The stems were extracted usingethanol by Soxhlet extraction, yielding 18.34% w/w. Cytotoxicity was evaluated using theMTT assay, which demonstrated high cell viability at 250, 500, and 1000 µg/mL, with valuesof 93.13%, 90.97%, and 88.91%, respectively, confirming the safety of the extract for furtherstudies. Successful differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes into mature adipocytes wasachieved by day 8 using IBMX, dexamethasone, and insulin. Oil Red O staining demonstrateda concentration-dependent reduction in intracellular lipid accumulation following treatmentwith C. ovata stem extract. Quantitative analysis showed lipid accumulation values of 86.07 ±3.01, 70.94 ± 2.31, and 57.64 ± 1.33 at 250, 500, and 1000 µg/mL, respectively, compared with99.9 ± 0.15 in the control group (p < 0.0001). Furthermore, adiponectin secretion increaseddose-dependently from 0.3241 ± 0.0040 to 0.5764 ± 0.0040 ng/mL, with the highestconcentration exceeding the effect of berberine (0.4975 ± 0.0020 ng/mL). The combinedinhibition of lipid accumulation and enhancement of adiponectin secretion indicates a dual antiobesity effect. These findings suggest that C. ovata stem extract may modulate adipocyte lipidmetabolism and endocrine function, supporting its potential as a natural therapeutic candidatefor obesity and associated metabolic disorders.