A Bioactive Constituent of Ginger, 6-Shogaol, Prevents Adipogenesis and Stimulates Lipolysis in 3T3-L1 Adipocytes

Abstract

Zingiber officinaleRoscoe, one of the most widely used spices, has been reported to have anti-obesity and anti-diabetes effects. In the present study, we investigated the effects of 6-shogaol, a bioactive compound present in ginger, on the adipogenic process in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. The anti-adipogenic effects of 6-shogaol was significantly higher than the more widely investigated 6-gingerol, another major ginger constituent. We observed that 6-shogaol inhibited the expression of two master regulators of adipogenesis, PPARγ and C/EBPα, and also stimulated lipolysis in mature 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Collectively, these results suggest that 6-shogaol, not 6-gingerol, is the major compound present in ginger responsible for its reported anti-adipogenic properties. Practical Applications: Ginger is widely consumed all over the world, and has been associated with various health benefits. At least some of these benefits have been previously attributed to 6-gingerol. In the present study, we observed that 6-shogaol has more potent anti-adipogenic effects than 6-gingerol in 3T3-L1 cells. This is the first study to investigate the anti-obesity effect of 6-shogaol in vitro, and provides a new perspective on future development of ginger-based anti-obesity strategies.