Effects of Baccharin Isolated from Brazilian Green Propolis on Adipocyte Differentiation and Hyperglycemia in <i>ob/ob</i> Diabetic Mice

• Main Authors: Akio Watanabe, Marília Oliveira de Almeida, Yusuke Deguchi, Ryuzo Kozuka, Caroline Arruda, Andresa Aparecida Berreta, Jairo Kenupp Bastos, Je-Tae Woo, Takayuki Yonezawa
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-06-01
• Series: International Journal of Molecular Sciences
• Subjects: diabetes; propolis; baccharin; PPARγ
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/22/13/6954

Propolis is a honeybee product with various biological activities, including antidiabetic effects. We previously reported that artepillin C, a prenylated cinnamic acid derivative isolated from Brazilian green propolis, acts as a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) ligand and promotes adipocyte differentiation. In this study, we examined the effect of baccharin, another major component of Brazilian green propolis, on adipocyte differentiation. The treatment of mouse 3T3-L1 preadipocytes with baccharin resulted in increased lipid accumulation, cellular triglyceride levels, glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity, and glucose uptake. The mRNA expression levels of PPARγ and its target genes were also increased by baccharin treatment. Furthermore, baccharin enhanced PPARγ-dependent luciferase activity, suggesting that baccharin promotes adipocyte differentiation via PPARγ activation. In diabetic <i>ob/ob</i> mice, intraperitoneal administration of 50 mg/kg baccharin significantly improved blood glucose levels. Our results suggest that baccharin has a hypoglycemic effect on glucose metabolic disorders, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus.