Mangiferin relieves CCl4-induced liver fibrosis in mice.

Hepatic fibrosis is a late stage process of many chronic liver diseases. Blocking the fibrosis process will be beneficial to the treatment and recovery of the diseases. Mangiferin has many pharmacological activities.

Berbamine reduces body weight via suppression of small GTPase Rab8a activity and activation of paraventricular hypothalamic neurons in obese mice.

Small GTPase Rab8a is involved in fat-specific protein 27 (Fsp27) mediated lipid droplet accumulation in adipocytes. By screening inhibitors of Rab8a GTPase from a natural compound library, berbamine (BBM), a marketing drug for treatment of leukopenia in China, was identified to inhibit the activity of Rab8a GTPase and block the differentiation of 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Animal study showed that BBM could reduce body weight, improved glucose and lipid metabolic homeostasis in high-fat diet-induced obesity (DIO) C57BL/6 mice and db/db mice.

Tangeretin promotes lifespan associated with insulin/insulin-like growth factor-1 signaling pathway and heat resistance in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Tangeretin is a polymethoxylated flavonoid naturally occurred in citrus fruits with many pharmacological activities, such as anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative, and neuroprotective properties. A previous study reported that tangeretin-enriched orange extract could prolong the lifespan in Caenorhabditis elegans. However, the antiaging effect of tangeretin remains uncertain.

Notoginsenoside Fe suppresses diet induced obesity and activates paraventricular hypothalamic neurons.

Obesity has become a major public health challenge worldwide. Energy imbalance between calorie acquisition and consumption is the fundamental cause of obesity. Notoginsenoside Fe is a naturally occurring compound in , a herb used in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases in traditional Chinese medicine.