{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,25]],"date-time":"2026-09-25T14:17:50Z","timestamp":1790345870708,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":49,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"24","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,12,9]],"date-time":"2023-12-09T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1702080000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Tsuji Oil Mills Co., Ltd."}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Molecules"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Obesity is an emerging global health issue with an increasing risk of disease linked to lifestyle choices. Previously, we reported that the hexane extract of Citrus sphaerocarpa (CSHE) suppressed lipid accumulation in differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes. In this study, we conducted in vivo experiments to assess whether CSHE suppressed obesity in zebrafish and mouse models. We administered 10 and 20 \u03bcg\/mL CSHE to obese zebrafish juveniles. CSHE significantly inhibited visceral fat accumulation compared to untreated obese fish. Moreover, the oral administration (100 \u03bcg\/g body weight\/day) of CSHE to high-fat-diet-induced obese mice significantly reduced their body weight, visceral fat volume, and hepatic lipid accumulation. The expression analyses of key regulatory genes involved in lipid metabolism revealed that CSHE upregulated the mRNA expression of lipolysis-related genes in the mouse liver (Ppar\u03b1 and Acox1) and downregulated lipogenesis-related gene (Fasn) expression in epididymal white adipose tissue (eWAT). Fluorescence immunostaining demonstrated the CSHE-mediated enhanced phosphorylation of AKT, AMPK, ACC, and FoxO1, which are crucial factors regulating adipogenesis. CSHE-treated differentiated 3T3L1 adipocytes also exhibited an increased phosphorylation of ACC. Therefore, we propose that CSHE suppresses adipogenesis and enhances lipolysis by regulating the PI3K\/AKT\/FoxO1 and AMPK\/ACC signaling pathways. These findings suggested that CSHE is a promising novel preventive and therapeutic agent for managing obesity.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/molecules28248026","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,12,11]],"date-time":"2023-12-11T14:12:51Z","timestamp":1702303971000},"page":"8026","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":19,"title":["The Hexane Extract of Citrus sphaerocarpa Ameliorates Visceral Adiposity by Regulating the PI3K\/AKT\/FoxO1 and AMPK\/ACC Signaling Pathways in High-Fat-Diet-Induced Obese Mice"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"28","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6936-795X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Liqing","family":"Zang","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Graduate School of Regional Innovation Studies, Mie University, Tsu 514-8507, Mie, Japan"},{"name":"Mie University Zebrafish Drug Screening Center, Mie University, Tsu 514-8507, Mie, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6869-7495","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Kazuhiro","family":"Kagotani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Mie University Zebrafish Drug Screening Center, Mie University, Tsu 514-8507, Mie, Japan"},{"name":"Tsuji Health & Beauty Science Laboratory, Mie University, Tsu 514-8507, Mie, Japan"},{"name":"Tsuji Oil Mills Co., Ltd., Matsusaka 515-0053, Mie, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6362-8506","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Takuya","family":"Hayakawa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Tsuji Health & Beauty Science Laboratory, Mie University, Tsu 514-8507, Mie, Japan"},{"name":"Tsuji Oil Mills Co., Ltd., Matsusaka 515-0053, Mie, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Takehiko","family":"Tsuji","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Tsuji Health & Beauty Science Laboratory, Mie University, Tsu 514-8507, Mie, Japan"},{"name":"Tsuji Oil Mills Co., Ltd., Matsusaka 515-0053, Mie, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1480-5251","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Katsuzumi","family":"Okumura","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Bioresources, Mie University, Tsu 514-8507, Mie, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4111-8262","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Yasuhito","family":"Shimada","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Mie University Zebrafish Drug Screening Center, Mie University, Tsu 514-8507, Mie, Japan"},{"name":"Department of Integrative Pharmacology, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Mie University, Tsu 514-8507, Mie, Japan"},{"name":"Department of Bioinformatics, Mie University Advanced Science Research Promotion Centre, Tsu 514-8507, Mie, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9866-4013","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Norihiro","family":"Nishimura","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Graduate School of Regional Innovation Studies, Mie University, Tsu 514-8507, Mie, Japan"},{"name":"Mie University Zebrafish Drug Screening Center, Mie University, Tsu 514-8507, Mie, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,12,9]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"126","DOI":"10.1161\/CIRCULATIONAHA.111.087213","article-title":"Energy balance and obesity","volume":"126","author":"Hill","year":"2012","journal-title":"Circulation"},{"key":"ref_2","unstructured":"WHO (2021). 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