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, alpha-monoglucosyl hesperidin (alpha GH) has been synthesized from HES by transglucosylation using cyclodextrin glucanotransferase. Several reports indicate that alpha GH significantly decreases body fat, but the underlying molecular mechanism remains unclear. We hypothesized that the antiobesity effects of alpha GH occur through the induced formation of brown-like adipocytes. The present study verified that dietary alpha GH 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 alpha GH significantly induced thermogenesis in iWAT. Dietary alpha GH 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 alpha GH induces increased energy expenditure by stimulating the formation of brown-like adipocytes.