Abstract

Introduction: Lipolysis plays a central role in the regulation of energy balance which is defined as the process of hydrolysing the triglycerides (TG) into glycerol and free fatty acids. Free fatty acids (FFA) are released through this process into the bloodstream with the aim of traveling to other tissues and accordingly exerting other effects throughout the body or re-esterifying by the adipocyte. Methods and Materials: Cell culture- 3T3L1 pre-adipocytes were obtained from NCCS, Pune. Substances were extracted from Acacia leaves (known as the wattles or acacias, belonging to the subfamily Mimosoideae of the pea family Fabaceae) by boiling in 50% v/v alcohol/water for 3 hours. Following centrifugation at 2,000g for 10 minutes, the extracted substances were concentrated and different concentrations were prepared. Results: The addition of extract increased the glycerol content significantly (p<0.001) at concentrations 1μg/ml, 10μg/ml and 100μg/ml. The response of acacia extract was in concentration dependent manner. Thus, acacia leaf extract promotes lipolysis in differentiated adipocytes. Conclusions: Acacia leaf extract promotes lipolysis in differentiated adipocytes. It is a natural, effective and non-toxic treatment for obesity and diabetes mellitus among others.