Brazilian propolis-derived components inhibit TNF-α-mediated downregulation of adiponectin expression via different mechanisms in 3T3-L1 adipocytes

► Two types of propolis components inhibit downregulation of adiponectin via different mechanisms. ► Artepillin C (C3) functions as a PPARγ agonist. ► C3 can form a stable complex with the hPPARγ LBD based on molecular docking studies. ► C4 is an effective inhibitor of JNK activation. The predicted binding mode of C4 was similar to the binding modes of known JNK inhibitors.