Zingiber mioga reduces weight gain, insulin resistance and hepatic gluconeogenesis in diet-induced obese mice

Zingiber mioga is a perennial herb belonging to the ginger family (Zingiberaceae) that is used medicinally to treat cough and rheumatism in China and consumed throughout Japan. The aim of the present study was to investigate the anti-obesity effects of Z. mioga following extraction with distilled water or 70% ethanol. In 3T3-L1 preadipocyte cells, Z. mioga water extract (ZMW) markedly inhibited adipogenesis, whereas the ethanol extract had no effect. In addition, we conducted ZMW feeding experiments (0.25 or 0.5% ZMW) in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice to examine the anti-obesity effects of Z. mioga in vivo. Body weight and serum triglyceride and cholesterol levels significantly decreased in the HFD + ZMW 0.5% group. Notably, ZMW decreased liver weight but not adipose tissue weight. Furthermore, insulin resistance and hepatic mRNA expression of gluconeogenic genes, such as phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and G6Pase, were improved in the HFD + ZMW 0.5% group. Furthermore, ZMW treatment decreased hepatic lipogenic gene expression; however, it did not alter adipogenesis in fat tissue, suggesting that ZMW inhibits hepatosteatosis through the suppression of lipogenesis. ZMW improved HFD-induced hepatic inflammation. Collectively, the present findings suggest that ZMW may serve as a new and promising strategy for the treatment of hepatosteatosis.