Exploring the in vitro anti-obesity efficacy of moringa Oleifera and Garcinia Cambogia through enzyme inhibition and lipid accumulation control in adipocyte
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Obesity is a multifactorial metabolic disorder involving excessive lipid accumulation, altered adipocyte function, and disturbances in lipid metabolism. Moringa oleifera and Garcinia cambogia contain phytoconstituents with potential anti-obesity activity; however, their combined effects on complementary obesity-related targets remain inadequately explored. The present study evaluated the in vitro anti-obesity activity of hydroethanolic extracts of M. oleifera leaves and G. cambogia fruit rind, individually and in different combinations, and identified the combination exhibiting the most favourable integrated activity. Hydroethanolic extracts were characterized by preliminary phytochemical screening and estimation of total phenolic and flavonoid contents. Anti-obesity activity was assessed through pancreatic lipase inhibition and 3T3-L1 adipocyte-based assays. Cytotoxicity was determined by MTT assay, while intracellular lipid accumulation, lipolysis, and adipocyte endocrine function were evaluated using Oil Red O staining, glycerol release, and adiponectin and leptin estimation, respectively. M. oleifera:G. cambogia combinations of 1:1, 1:2, and 2:1 were comparatively evaluated. Both extracts exhibited concentration-dependent pancreatic lipase inhibition and significant anti-adipogenic activity. The 1:1 combination showed the strongest overall response among the plant treatments, producing 94.1% pancreatic lipase inhibition with an IC₅₀ of 118.9 µg/mL. In differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes, the combination reduced intracellular lipid accumulation by 63.6% and increased glycerol release to 7.92 µmol/mL. It also increased adiponectin secretion to 13.27 ng/mL and reduced leptin secretion to 5.64 ng/mL. These effects were significantly greater than those of the individual extracts and were comparable with the reference treatment for several evaluated endpoints. The tested preparations maintained >90% cell viability at concentrations up to 100 µg/mL. Correlation analysis further demonstrated strong associations among pancreatic lipase inhibition, reduced lipid accumulation, enhanced lipolysis, and favourable adipokine modulation. The findings demonstrate that the 1:1 combination of M. oleifera leaf and G. cambogia fruit rind extracts provides a promising multi-target in vitro anti-obesity effect by simultaneously inhibiting pancreatic lipase, limiting adipocyte lipid accumulation, promoting lipolysis, and modulating adipokine secretion
Language: English
Subfield: Pharmacology (medical)
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W7207776216