Cornus Morroniside Curbs Weight Gain and Fatty Liver in Obese Mice Over 12 Weeks of Dosing

Morroniside, another iridoid compound in Cornus (Cornus officinalis), was also found to inhibit fat cell formation. Researchers at the Department of Medical Genetics, Ajou University School of Medicine, working with NINEB, published the results of cell and animal experiments in Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy.

Triglycerides Down, Glycerol Release Up

The researchers treated 3T3-L1 preadipocytes and adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) with morroniside while they were differentiating. The treated cells showed significantly less fat cell differentiation and fatty acid accumulation, and expression of genes related to fat production was also lower. Triglyceride content inside the cells decreased and glycerol release increased, which can be read as a sign that the balance shifted toward breaking down stored fat.

In the animal experiments, morroniside was given orally for 12 weeks to ovariectomized mice and to mice on a high-fat diet. The treated groups gained less weight and had less fatty liver and less adipose tissue.

Same Family as Loganin, a Different Compound

Together with loganin, morroniside is one of the two representative iridoid glycosides of Cornus, and the Korean Pharmacopoeia uses the sum of the two compounds as the quality standard for Cornus fruit. The direction of the results is similar to what the same research group reported for loganin, suggesting that Cornus's effects on fat metabolism may not rest on a single compound.