The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of various extracts of Cynanchi wilfordii Radix on the effects of adipocyte differentiation and adipogenesis using 3T3-L1 preadipocyte cell line. For this study, the extracts of methanol of C. wilfordii (MECWR) was isolated, and then the extracts were fractionated into dichloromethane (CFCWR), ethyl acetate (EAFCWR), butanol (BFCWR) and water (WFCWR) partition layers. The extracts of C. wilfordii showed significant inhibitory activity on adipocyte differentiation in the 3T3-L1 preadipocytes without affecting cell viability as assessed by measuring fat accumulation using Oil Red O staining, and this effect was higher in EAFCWR than in other extracts. In addition, the inhibitory effects of extracts of C. wilfordii were associated with modulation of adipogenic transcription factors such as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptorՃ (PPARՃ), CCAAT/enhancer binding proteinՁ (C/EBPՁ) and C/EBPՂ in both translational and transcriptional levels. These results demonstrate that C. wilfordii extracts may be an ideal candidate for obesity relief to disturb adipocyte differentiation and that further studies will be needed for identification of active compounds. (Cancer Prev Res 16, 371-378, 2011)

Keywords: Cynanchi wilfordii radix, Adipocyte differentiation, Adipogenesis, PPARՃ,, C/EBP