Daidzein reduces the proliferation and adiposeness of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes via regulating adipogenic gene expression

Daidzein is one of the main bioactive substances of soybean isoflavones that has a wide range of health benefits. This research explored the anti-obesity effect of daidzein and the mechanism of lipid metabolism for adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 adipocytes by experiment design of reducing matrix effects. The results indicated that high concentrations of daidzein significantly inhibited preadipocyte proliferation, fat deposition and the ratio of linolenic acid in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Western blot and relative quantitative RT-PCR results indicated that daidzein significantly decreased protein and gene levels of the nuclear transcription factors C/EBPα and PPARγ. Meanwhile, daidzein also downregulated the expression of downstream genes (LPL, FAS, ACC, SCD1, FADS2); however, the relative expression levels were not dose-dependent for daidzein. Therefore, isolated from soybean, daidzein as a plant health product has a potential function for the prevention and therapy of obesity and related metabolic disorders.