Inhibitory effects of stilbene derivatives from Parthenocissus tricuspidata on adipocyte differentiation and pancreatic lipase.

Obesity, which is characterized by excessive fat accumulation, occurs by fat absorption by lipase and sequential fat accumulation in adipocytes through adipocyte differentiation. Thus, inhibition of pancreatic lipase activity and adipocyte differentiation would be crucial for the prevention and treatment of obesity. Investigation of anti-obesity compounds from Parthenocissus tricuspidata stems resulted in the isolation of nineteen compounds including five acetophenones, five flavonoids and nine stilbene derivatives. Among them, the stilbene derivatives showed the most potent anti-obesity effects. Stilbene monomers showed strong inhibitory activity on both adipocyte differentiation and pancreatic lipase, followed by stilbene dimer and trimer. Flavonoids showed mild inhibition on adipocyte differentiation, whereas acetophenones showed little effect in our assay system. Taken together, P. tricuspidata might be a new candidate for the development of obesity treatment.