Ice Plant (Mesembryanthemum crystallinum) Extract Promotes Lipolysis in Mouse 3T3-L1 Adipocytes Through Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase Activation.

The antiobesity effect of ice plant (IP) (Mesembryanthemum crystallinum), a salt-resistant African plant, has recently attracted increased attention. IP is rich in pinitol, which lowers blood sugar, and myo-inositol, which prevents fatty liver disease. Furthermore, IP can potentially prevent or reduce the symptoms of metabolic syndrome. However, the details of the physiological mechanisms and mechanisms of action of IP are unclear. A previous study by our group demonstrated the capability of IP extract to prevent adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. In this study, we analyzed the physiological function of IP extract on lipolysis in 3T3-L1 cells and the underlying mechanisms of this process. We found that the release of glycerol from cells treated with IP extract increased in an IP dose-dependent manner. IP extract exhibited cytotoxic activity at concentrations above 4 mg/mL. Real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blotting showed that IP extract downregulated peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR-)γ, hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL), and adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) in a concentration-dependent manner, but did not affect HSL-Ser563, HSL-Ser660, or perilipin phosphorylation. Although the cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA)-specific inhibitor H89 did not affect IP extract-induced lipolysis, the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2) inhibitor U0126 significantly abrogated IP extract-activated glycerol release. Furthermore, IP extract strongly enhanced ERK1/2 phosphorylation at the concentrations used in the study. These results suggest that IP extract augments lipolysis by enhancing ERK phosphorylation.