Oleiferasaponin A2, a Novel Saponin from Camellia oleifera Abel. Seeds, Inhibits Lipid Accumulation of HepG2 Cells Through Regulating Fatty Acid Metabolism

Abstract

A new triterpenoid saponin, named oleiferasaponin A₂, was isolated and identified from <i>Camellia oleifera</i> defatted seeds. Oleiferasaponin A₂ exhibited anti-hyperlipidemic activity on HepG2 cell lines. Further study of the hypolipidemic mechanism showed that oleiferasaponin A₂ inhibited fatty acid synthesis by significantly down-regulating the expression of <i>SREBP-1c, FAS</i> and FAS protein, while dramatically promoting fatty acid β-oxidation by up-regulating the expression of <i>ACOX-1, CPT-1</i> and ACOX-1 protein. Our results demonstrate that the oleiferasaponin A₂ possesses potential medicinal value for hyperlipidemia treatment.