Potential activity of Hypericum perforatum and Gentiana lutea extract to ameliorate the condition of obesity and related diseases

BACKGROUND: Obesity is a serious global health problem: it entails several complications including diabetes mellitus type 2, cardiovascular dysfunction and hypertension, and its prevalence is increasing around the world. Obesity is defined as a complex multifactorial disease consisting of an abnormal or excessive accumulation of fat, as adipocytes, in body tissues. The pathogenesis of obesity is intimately connected to ROS generation, which participates in inflammatory processes ultimately linked to an excess of adipocyte size and quantity. METHODS: Leaves, flowers and fruits from Hypericum perforatum and Gentiana lutea were collected in the area of southern Italy at different altitudes and during the phenological stages. Samples were allowed to dry for 3-10 days in oven, pulverized and extracted in EtOH 80% for 24 h. Selected concentrations of each tissue extracts were preliminary screened at MTT assay in order to investigate the extracts cytotoxicity in 3T3-L1 cells. The anti-obesity potential was tested during cells differentiation process and the lipid droplet formation was measured by means of Oil Red O assay. RESULTS: Hypericum perforatum leaves, flowers and fruits were tested at MTT assay showing a strength cytotoxicity at the highest doses and a negligible one at the lowest. None of tested concentrations of Gentiana lutea leaves, flowers and fruits showed cytotoxicity. In this way, the highest sub-cytotoxic doses were defined for the differentiation assay. CONCLUSIONS: In literature there are few articles that give to Gentiana lutea and Hypericum perforatum extracts the capacity to modify the glycemic and lipidemic status. Within the OnFoods project (www.onfoods.it) preliminary results provide recommendations for the plant sections and extract concentrations to be used in our upcoming adipogenesis control studies.