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Anti-obesity effects of secondary metabolites from Chrysosplenium flagelliferum: in vitro and in silico studies

Heo EJ, Jung B, Kwon S, Choi MY, Jang YS, Kim KH, Park GH, Kim JA et al.

RSC advances, 2026

Abstract

From the extract of Chrysosplenium flagelliferum, a Korean forest medicinal plant, a new triterpene glycoside (1), four triterpenoids (2-5), four flavonoids (6-9), a monoterpene lactone (10), a phenolic compound (11) and an alkaloid (12) were isolated. All isolates were evaluated for their anti-obesity effects, where cucurbitacin D (2) and cirsimaritin (6) exhibited significant inhibitory activities against lipid accumulation in differentiating 3T3-L1 adipocytes and downregulated the expression of PPAR-γ. Based on this, both compounds were subjected to molecular docking and dynamics simulation with PPAR-γ. Compound 2 showed dynamic binding behavior driven by conformational flexibility, while compound 6 maintained a stable and compact binding pose, suggesting they engage PPAR-γ through distinct binding modes and differential molecular mechanisms. In conclusion, this study suggests that C. flagelliferum is a promising source of anti-obesity agents and provides insight into molecular mechanisms of its bioactive compounds, highlighting their potential as therapeutic candidates for metabolic disorders.

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