New plant-derived treatment for obesity and diabetes described at ECO meeting

Mike Cawthorne presented results of a collaborative project between the Clore Laboratory, University of Buckingham, and Unilever Research to the 11th European Congress on Obesity, held in Vienna, Austria, 30 May - 2 June 2001.
Guggul lipid, a gum resin derived from the Indian shrub Commiphora mukul, reduced body weight gain and improved insulin sensitivity in an animal model of type 2 diabetes. Guggul lipid was found to be an activator of PPARg in reporter gene assays, to increase glucose uptake by skeletal muscle cells and to promote the conversion of pre-adipocytes in 3T3-L1 cells.
Guggul lipid is also known to reduce hypercholesterolaemia and this effect, combined with anti-obesity and anti-diabetic properties, suggests that guggul lipid may have potential advantages over current therapies.
The authors are A. Subramaniam, C. Stocker, M.V. Sennitt, S. Wang, A.L. Nolan, L. Brown, M. Bertrand, A. Peilow, A. Mayes and M.A. Cawthorne. The abstract is published in Int. J. Obesity 2001, 25, Suppl. 2, S24, Abs. O66.