Royal jelly ameliorates diet-induced obesity and glucose intolerance by promoting brown adipose tissue thermogenesis in mice.

INTRODUCTION: Identification of thermogenic food ingredients is potentially a useful strategy for the prevention of obesity and related metabolic disorders. It has been reported that royal jelly (RJ) supplementation improves insulin sensitivity; however, its impacts on energy expenditure and adiposity remain elusive. We investigated anti-obesity effects of RJ supplementation and their relation to physical activity levels and thermogenic capacities of brown (BAT) and white adipose tissue (WAT). METHODS: C57BL/6J mice were fed under four different experimental conditions for 17 weeks: normal diet (ND), high fat diet (HFD), HFD with 5% RJ, and HFD with 5% honey bee larva powder (BL). Spontaneous locomotor activity, hepatic triglyceride (TG) content, and blood parameters were examined. Gene and protein expressions of thermogenic uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) and mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit IV (COX-IV) in BAT and WAT were investigated by qPCR and Western blotting analysis, respectively. RESULTS: Dietary RJ, but not BL, suppressed HFD-induced accumulations of WAT and hepatic TG without modifying food intake. Consistently, RJ improved hyperglycemia and the homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Although dietary RJ and BL unchanged locomotor activity, gene and protein expressions of UCP1 and COX-IV in BAT were increased in the RJ group compared to the other experimental groups. Neither the RJ nor BL treatment induced browning of WAT. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that dietary RJ ameliorates diet-induced obesity, hyperglycemia, and hepatic steatosis by promoting metabolic thermogenesis in BAT in mice. RJ may be a novel promising food ingredient to combat obesity and metabolic disorders.

Enantioselective total synthesis of enokipodins A-D, antimicrobial sesquiterpenes produced by the mushroom, Flammulina velutipes.

The first enantioselective total synthesis of enokipodins A, B, C and D, highly oxidized alpha-cuparenone-type sesquiterpenoids possessing antimicrobial activity, was accomplished in 8-28% overall yields from methyl (2,5-dimethoxy-4-methylphenyl)acetate by applying Meyers' diastereoselective alkylation protocol for the construction of their C7-quaternary asymmetric center. The present synthesis confirmed the absolute configuration of the enokipodins, and also constitutes a formal enantioselective synthesis of (S)-1,4-cuparenediol and (S)-cuparene-1,4-quinone.