Abstract
Although Peucedanum japonicum Thunb (PJT) has been used in traditional medicine, PJT root is considered to be agricultural waste, and its benefits have not been explored to date. This study examined the effect of PJT root extract in C57BL/6J mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 10 weeks and determined the underlying molecular mechanisms based on gene expression analyses. PJT supplementation (1% w/w) decreased body weight, white adipose tissue (WAT) mass, and hepatic triglyceride levels and downregulated inflammatory gene expression in the WAT and liver of HFD-fed mice. Notably, dramatic increases in Cyp2b and Ces2 mRNA levels, which are reportedly involved in lipid metabolism, were observed in the livers of PJT-supplemented, HFD-fed mice. Furthermore, short-term PJT supplementation in HFD-fed mice and PJT treatment in primary cultured hepatocytes suggested that PJT root extract modulates hepatic Cyp2b and Ces2 mRNA expression in a direct manner. Thus, these findings demonstrate the potential of PJT root extract as a functional food for obesity and fatty liver disease.