Anti-obesity Effect of Fermented Persimmon Extracts via Activation of AMP-Activated Protein Kinase

There is significant cultivation of persimmon (Diospyros kaki) in East Asia, a plant whose fruit has abundant nutrients, including vitamins, polyphenols, and dietary fiber. Persimmon dietary supplements can benefit health by amelioration of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity. There are also persimmon-based beverages produced via fermentation, such as wines and vinegars, and increasing consumption of these products in East Asia. Although there is great interest in functional foods, the health effects of fermented persimmon extract (FPE) are completely unknown. We examined the effects of FPE on the metabolic parameters of mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD). Our results indicated that FPE supplementation led to an approx. 15% reduction of body weight, reduced abdominal and liver fat, and reduced serum levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol, and glucose. FPE also blocked the differentiation of murine 3T3-L1 pre-adipocyte cells into mature adipocytes. We suggest that gallic acid is a major bioactive component of FPE, and that AMP-activated protein kinase mediates the beneficial effects of FPE and gallic acid.