α-Monoglucosyl Hesperidin but Not Hesperidin Induces Brown-Like Adipocyte Formation and Suppresses White Adipose Tissue Accumulation in Mice

Hesperidin (HES) is a flavanone glycoside found in citrus peel that contributes to its bitter taste. It has low water solubility and poor oral bioavailability. To improve its solubility and bioavailability, α-monoglucosyl hesperidin (αGH) has been synthesized from HES by transglucosylation using cyclodextrin glucanotransferase. Several reports indicate that αGH significantly decreases body fat, but the underlying molecular mechanism remains unclear. We hypothesized that the antiobesity effects of αGH occur through the induced formation of brown-like adipocytes. The present study verified that dietary αGH induces brown-like adipocytes to form in mouse inguinal white adipose tissue (iWAT), thereby significantly decreasing the weight of white adipose tissue (WAT). Furthermore, dietary αGH significantly induced thermogenesis in iWAT. Dietary αGH also significantly suppressed high-fat-diet-induced WAT accumulation in mice, which may be mediated by brown-like adipocyte formation. These results indicate that dietary αGH induces increased energy expenditure by stimulating the formation of brown-like adipocytes.