Deep Red Herb Shown To Be A Powerful Tool In Combating Obesity By Halting Fat Cell Production

According to a recent study, antioxidants in the roselle plant offer anti-obesity effects that may be useful in dietary alternatives to the present weight control drugs.

PhD candidate Manisha Singh led a study at RMIT which explored how the antioxidant compounds (phenolic extracts) and organic acid (hydroxycitric acid) present in the resilient roselle plant (Hibiscus sabdariffa) can effectively impede the formation of fat cells.

When the body consumes too much fat, fat may be deposited in the cell, transforming it into fat cells known as adipocytes.

Adipocytes are essential for maintaining the body’s energy and glucose levels. Yet, when energy intake exceeds expenditure, it might result in an increase in the size and population of fat cells, which can contribute to obesity.

Before being turned into fat cells, human stem cells were exposed to both phenolic extracts and hydroxycitric acid.

Phenolic extract-treated cells contained 95% less fat than control cells, but hydroxycitric acid-treated cells exhibited no change in the fat content of the adipocytes.

Singh’s study is the first of its kind to test how phenolic extracts and hydroxycitric acid from roselle affect human fat cells.

Professor Benu Adhikari from RMIT’s Food Research and Innovation Centre, who is Singh’s PhD supervisor, said that the results of the study could change how we deal with obesity.

Changes in lifestyle and medicine are the main ways to deal with obesity now.

Despite their effectiveness, medications may sometimes cause unwanted side effects including high blood pressure or damage to the kidney and liver.

The phenolic compounds from the roselle may help build a health food product that is helpful in preventing the growth of fat cells while also avoiding the negative side effects of certain drugs, according to Adhikari.

Natural enzyme inhibitor

Dr. Thilini Thrimawithana, a senior lecturer at the School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, has stated that there is a rising interest in investigating the potential of polyphenols – compounds that are abundant in antioxidants – to manage disorders such as obesity. This research could lead to alternative treatments that can help avoid the unwanted side effects of medications such as Orlistat and Liraglutide.

Vegetables and fruits are rich sources of polyphenols, which are natural compounds that act as antioxidants in the body. By neutralizing the harmful oxidation that can occur within our bodies, the consumption of polyphenols can help slow down the aging process and reduce the risk of various diseases.

According to Singh’s study, the polyphenols in roselle exhibited the same ability to suppress digestive enzymes as certain drugs used to treat obesity.

Polyphenols are known to inhibit the activity of lipase, a digestive enzyme that plays a critical role in breaking down fats into smaller molecules for absorption by the body through the intestine. The accumulation of excess fats can lead to the formation of fat cells.

However, when the lipase enzyme is inhibited by polyphenols, the absorption of fat is hindered, resulting in its excretion as waste through the colon.

According to Singh, “these polyphenolic compounds are plant-derived and can be consumed, there should be fewer or no side effects.”

What’s next?

Leading food researcher Adhikari, whose interest in food started as a farmer in Nepal, expects that the roselle will play a larger part in Australia’s health industry.

The climate in Australia is ideal for growing roselle. The plant is resilient, resistant to disease, and doesn’t need much water or area to flourish.

The team intends to encapsulate the phenolic extracts for use in nutritional supplements. They claim that the extracts might be made into tiny beads and utilized to create a cool beverage.

Phenolic extracts readily oxidize, thus encapsulation not only increases their shelf life but also allows us to manage how they are released and absorbed by the body, according to Adhikari.

“If we don’t encapsulate the extract, it could break down in the stomach before we can reap its benefits.”

Source: 10.1111/ijfs.16269

Image Credit: RMIT University