Ethanolic extracts of <i>A. scoparia</i> activate the PPARγ LBD and promote adipogenesis <i>in vitro</i>.

<p>A) HEK293 cells were co-transfected with a Gal4 DNA binding domain – PPARγ LBD fusion protein and a luciferase reporter construct. In a blinded screen, botanical extracts were tested at 50 µg/ml. Untreated (control) and rosiglitazone-treated cells were used as negative and positive controls, respectively. All of the extracts shown were prepared from plants collected in Kyrgyzstan. Assay results are shown for <i>A. scoparia Walst. & Kit</i> (00476E1– root, E12– above ground portion of plant, E13– entire plant, E4– stem, and E7– leaf), <i>Artemisia aschurbajewii C.Winkl.</i> (00550E13), <i>Artemisia macrocephala Jacquem. ex Besser</i> (00543E12– above ground, E13 entire plant), <i>Artemisia vulgaris L.</i> (00508E13), <i>Aster altaicus Willd.</i> (00202E12), <i>Aster vvedenskyi Bondarenko</i> (00605E13), <i>Aster dumosus L.</i> (00736E13), and <i>Crataegus submollis Sarg.</i> (00749E12). Data are presented as mean ± SEM (n = 3); * denotes p<0.05. B) Murine 3T3-L1 preadipocytes were induced to differentiate using the typical MDI induction cocktail containing 50 µg/ml of the indicated extracts. Cell monolayers were subjected to Oil Red O staining 96 hours after the induction of adipogenesis.