A Herbal Pair of Taraxacum officinale F.H.Wigg. and Lonicera japonica Thunb. Ameliorates Obesity and Modulates AMPK Signaling

Obesity is a complex metabolic disorder characterized by excessive fat accumulation and associated comorbidities. This study evaluated LIPO-700, a standardized herbal formulation combining Lonicera japonica Thunb. and Taraxacum officinale F.H.Wigg., for its anti-obesity effects and underlying mechanisms. Network pharmacology and KEGG enrichment analyses identified AMPK signaling, adipocytokine signaling, and regulation of lipolysis among the top enriched pathways associated with the predicted targets of LIPO-700. In vitro, LIPO-700 significantly reduced lipid accumulation in differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes (up to 19.11% at 100 μg/mL, p < 0.001) and free fatty acid-induced HepG2 hepatocytes (24.70%, p < 0.001), accompanied by increased phosphorylation of AMPK (3.49-fold, p < 0.001), restoration of adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) and hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL), and suppression of lipogenic and gluconeogenic markers including Sterol Regulatory Element-Binding Protein-1c (SREBP-1c), Fatty Acid Synthase, Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxykinase, and Glucose-6-Phosphatase. In vivo, oral administration of LIPO-700 to high-fat diet-induced obese mice reduced body weight, fat mass, and adipocyte size in a dose-dependent manner without hepatotoxicity or nephrotoxicity. Western blot and gene expression analyses of epididymal white adipose tissue showed increased AMPK phosphorylation, together with downregulation of leptin and SREBP-1c, and upregulation of Lipoprotein Lipase, ATGL, and HSL. These findings demonstrate that LIPO-700 exerts multi-target anti-obesity effects through coordinated regulation of lipid metabolism, supporting its potential as a safe herbal intervention for obesity management.