Ginsenoside Rc promotes anti-adipogenic activity on 3T3-L1 adipocytes by down-regulating C/EBPα and PPARγ.

Panax ginseng and its major components, the ginsenosides, are widely used in oriental medicine for the prevention of various disorders. In the present study, the inhibitory activity of ginsenoside Rc on adipogenesis was investigated using the 3T3-L1 cell line. The results obtained showed that Rc reduced the proliferation and viability of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes in a dose-dependent manner. Treatment with Rc decreased the number of adipocytes and reduced lipid accumulation in maturing 3T3-L1 preadipocytes, demonstrating an inhibitory effect on lipogenesis. Moreover, it was found that Rc directly induced lipolysis in adipocytes and down-regulated the expression of major transcription factors of the adipogenesis pathway, such as PPARγ and C/EBPα. These findings indicate that Rc is capable of suppressing adipogenesis and therefore they seem to be natural bioactive factors effective in adipose tissue mass modulation.