The Effect of a Novel Functional Solid Drink on Obesity Management and Its Underlying Mechanisms

Abstract

Obesity has become a global public health concern, yet an effective, low-toxic, and high-compliance strategy for its control remains elusive. This study aims to develop a novel comprehensive intervention method for the management of obesity and its complications. Thus, we designed a functional solid beverage named RLMCR, which consists of medicinal and edible Chinese herbs. We identified its chemical composition and evaluated its efficacy. Our results indicated that RLMCR was abundant in various functional ingredients, including flavonoids, polyphenols, and terpenoids. It could mitigate lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 cells by upregulating the expression of lipolysis-related genes. We then established diet-induced obese (DIO) mice models, which were administered with low, middle, and high doses of RLMCR for 8 weeks. Our findings indicated that the optimal dosage of RLMCR for weight loss was 3.0 g/kg, which effectively mitigated weight gain, lipid accumulation, hepatic steatosis, and abnormal glucose metabolism. Following treatment, oxygen consumption, carbon dioxide production, and thermogenesis were increased in DIO mice, without affecting food intake. The content of brown adipose tissue was significantly elevated, and the expression of thermogenesis-related genes and lipolysis-related genes in the epididymal white adipose tissue was upregulated. So, we developed a novel functional food that effectively mitigates obesity and its related metabolic disorders.