Table 2.

Plant extracts to induce adipocyte browning.

Extract (Part/Solvent)	Model	Conc.	Effects	Active Component	Ref.
Panax ginseng (root and leaf/ND)	3T3-L1 cells	25–100 μg/mL	↓adipogenesis (↓C/EBPα, SREBP1-c) ↑mitochondrial activity ↑brown-adipocyte-specific markers (↑UCP1, PRDM16, PGC-1 α) ↑p-AMPK	Gensenoside Rb1 Rb2 Rg1 Rg3	[39,40,41,42,43]
	primary white adipocytes
Phyllostachys pubescens and Scutellaria baicalensis (root and leaf/70% EtOH)	3T3-L1 cells	60–480 μg/mL	↓adipogenesis (↓PPARγ, C/EBPα) ↓lipogenesis (↓SREBP-1c, FAS) ↑fatty acid oxidation, lipolysis (↑p-ACC, CPT1) ↑BAT markers (↑UCP1, PRDM16, PGC1α) ↑thermogenesis (↑UCP2) ↑p-AMPK	Chlorogenic acid Orientin Isoorientin Baicalin Wogonoside Baicalein Tricin Wogonin Chrysin	[26]
Humulus japonicas (leaf/water)	3T3-L1 cells	20, 100 μg/mL	↑thermogenesis, browning (↑UCP1, PRDM16, PGC-1 α) ↑fatty acid oxidation, lipolysis ↓lipogenesis, lipid accumulation ↓oxidative stress/↑SOD1, catalase, GPx1 ↑AMPK/PPARδ signaling pathway	ND	[44]
Immature Citrus reticulate (fruit/hot water)	C57BL/6 mice	1%	↓body/visceral fat weights, adipocyte size ↓fatty livers, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia ↑cold tolerance in cold exposure ↑thermogenesis (↑UCP1, PRDM16, NRF1) ↑beige adipocyte-selective markers (↑TEME26, CD137, Cidea)	Synephrine Narirutin Hesperidin Nobiletin tangeretin	[45]
Broccoli Seeds (sprout/water)	C57BL/6JSlc mice	0.3%	↓body weight gain, fat mass ↑energy expenditure ↑major browning marker (↑UCP1) ↓insulin resistance, glucose tolerance ↓plasma lipopolysaccharide ↓relative abundance of Desulfovibrionaceae bacteria ↓oxidative stress, inflammation	Glucoraphanin	[46]

C/EBPα, CCAT/enhancer binding protein alpha; SREBP1-c, sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1; UCP1, uncoupling protein 1; PRDM16, PR domain zinc finger protein 16; PGC-1α, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1-alpha; p-AMPK, phosphorylated AMP-activated protein kinase; CIDEA, cell-death-inducing DFFA-like effector-A; HSP60, heat shock protein 60; cyto c, cytochrome c; NADH, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide; WAT, white adipose tissue; Sirt1, sirtuin 1; SOD1, superoxide dismutase 1; GPx1, glutathione peroxidase 1; PPARδ, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta; NRF1, nuclear respiratory factor 1; TEME26, transmembrane protein 26; CD137, cluster of differentiation 137; FAS, fatty acid synthase; p-ACC, phosphorylated acetyl-CoA carboxylase; CPT-1, carnitine palmitoyltransferase; BAT, brown adipose tissue; ND, not determined.