Effect of Sake Lees on the Inhibition of Lipid Accumulation in Adipocytes

Recent lifestyle changes, such as the Westernization of diets and the rise in the prevalence of obesity, with an associated increase in the number of patients with lifestyle-related diseases, have become a social issue. Fermented food has attracted attention as a solution to problems caused by obesity. Sake lees, a byproduct of sake brewing, represent one such food that is expected to have health benefits. In this study, we investigated the effects of sake lees components on preadipocytes (3T3-L1). We cultured preadipocytes in a medium with indigestible sake lees components (ISLCs) to investigate lipid accumulation, analyzed the glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH) and LPL activities of those cells, and performed a real-time PCR analysis of the IL6 expression in the cells. The results show that lipid accumulation and GPDH activity were significantly decreased in adipocytes treated with 1.0 mg/mL ISLCs compared to untreated cells. Furthermore, the expression of IL6 in adipocytes treated with 1.0 mg/mL ISLCs was significantly decreased and the lipase activity was significantly increased in adipocytes treated with ISLCs after differentiation. IL6 is known to have multiple functions in adipose tissue. In conclusion, ISLCs were associated with reduced lipid accumulation in adipocytes, with effects on IL6 expression and LPL activity observed throughout the differentiation period