Background: Obesity, a significant public health concern, is associated with various chronic diseases. Natural compounds, such as those derived from Ocimum americanum, may offer promising anti-obesity effects with fewer side effects compared to synthetic drugs.
Objective: This study aims to evaluate the anti-adipogenic and anti-obesity activities of a methanolic extract of inflorescence of Ocimum americanum (OA) using 3T3-L1 mouse embryo pre-adipocyte cell lines. Methods: The study employed the MTT cytotoxicity assay to assess cell viability and the Oil Red O staining assay to measure lipid accumulation. The 3T3-L1 cells were treated with various concentrations of OA extract, and their effects on cell viability and lipid accumulation were compared to a control and a known anti-obesity agent, metformin.
Results: OA extract maintained high cell viability (>90%) at concentrations up to 200 µg/ml. It significantly reduced lipid accumulation in differentiated adipocytes compared to the control, demonstrating potent anti-adipogenic and anti-obesity effects.
Conclusions: The findings support the potential of OA extract as a natural therapeutic agent for obesity management, warranting further investigation into its molecular mechanisms and in vivo efficacy
Keywords
Obesity; Ocimum; Herbal Medicine; MTT Assay; Oil Red O Staining; Adipocyte Differentiation