Sargaquinoic acid and sargahydroquinoic acid from Sargassum yezoense stimulate adipocyte differentiation through PPARα/γ activation in 3T3-L1 cells

We screened active compounds from natural marine products able to increase PPARα/γ transcriptional activity. Sargaquinoic acid (SQA) and sargahydroquinoic acid (SHQA) from Sargassum yezoense were identified as novel PPARα/γ dual agonists. The binding affinity of SQA with PPARγ was higher than that of the specific PPARγ agonist troglitazone, leading to an activation of PPARγ transcriptional activity. In parallel, treatment of 3T3-L1 cells with SQA and SHQA led to an increase in adipocyte differentiation and increased expression of adipogenic marker genes such as aP2, PPARγ, resistin, adiponectin, C/EBPα and Glut4. Collectively, our data suggest that SQA and SHQA are novel PPARα/γ dual agonists and may be beneficial for reducing insulin resistance through regulation of adipogenesis.