Octacosanol and Policosanol Help Prevent High-Fat Diet-Induced Obesity Through Activation of Brown Adipose Tissue

by | May 26, 2021 | 2019, Obesity, Weight Control

Written by Angeline A. De Leon, Staff Writer. Study demonstrates the capacity for policosanol and octacosanol to ameliorate body weight and body fat gains associated with obesity from a high-fat diet.

weight controlIn mammals, two types of adipose tissue exist, white adipose tissue (WAT), which stores excess energy as triglycerides, and brown adipose tissue (BAT), which dissipates stored energy in the form of heat 1. BAT has been found to play a key role in metabolic processes and has emerged as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of obesity 2,3. Clinical studies report a link between reduced BAT volume and obesity 4,5, with animal studies suggesting that obesity may be related to a deficiency in BAT activity 6. Policosanol is a mixture of long-chain fatty alcohols whose primary constituent is octacosanol,  a waxy substance found in sugar cane and vegetable oils 7. Previous work has found that policosanol and octacosanol have the capacity to inhibit cholesterol synthesis 8, and octacosanol supplementation has been seen to reduce high-fat diet (HFD)-induced increases in adipose tissue 9. In 2019, researchers in Japan sought to explore the anti-obesity effects of octacosanol and policosanol in relation to HFD-induced obesity and BAT activity in mice 10.

Experimental procedures were carried out using 10-week-old C57BL/6 mice which were randomly divided into four groups: a group fed on standard chow with vehicle treatment (chow); a group fed with vehicle treatment (HFD); a group receiving HFD + 60 mg/kg/day of octacosanol (HFD + octacosanol); or a group receiving HFD + 60 mg/kg/day of policosanol (HFD + policosanol). After 4 weeks of treatment, mice were sacrificed, and body weight and body fat measures were obtained, along with metabolic measurements (glucose, insulin, lipid parameters). Histological analysis, Western blotting, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) were also performed to analyze adipocyte size and measure the expression of thermogenic genes involved in BAT function and those involved in lipogenesis and cholesterol biosynthesis and uptake.

As expected, the body weight and body fat of HFD-fed mice were significantly higher, compared to chow-fed mice (p < 0.001 for both). Compared to HFD mice, mice receiving policosanol or octacosanol exhibited significantly lower body weight gain (p < 0.001 for both) and fat mass (p < 0.01 for both). They also showed significantly lower levels of plasma insulin (p < 0.001 and p < 0.01 for policosanol and octacosanol, respectively), relative to the HFD group, and attenuation of HFD-induced enlargement of adipocytes in BAT, according to histological analyses. Compared to HFD, policosanol and octacosanol were also respectively associated with increased expression of thermogenic genes associated with BAT (Ucp1, Adrb3, Ffar4, and Elvol3, p < 0.05 across all for both policosanol and octacosanol) and decreased expression of genes involved in lipogenesis (Elvol6, Gpam, Ppara, p < 0.05 across all for both policosanol and octacosanol) and cholesterol biosynthesis and uptake (Ldlr, p < 0.05 for both). In addition, treatment with policosanol and octacosanol was respectively linked to diminished expression of genes involved in inflammation in WAT (Cd68 and Il-1β, p < 0.05 for both for policosanol and octacosanol).

Results of the study confirm the propensity for HFD to induce obesity, while demonstrating the capacity for policosanol and octacosanol to ameliorate body weight and body fat gains associated with obesity. Octacosanol and policosanol treatments were also shown to produce metabolic benefits such as improved insulin resistance and reduced lipid accumulation in BAT, based on decreased adipocyte size. Finally, by upregulating the expression of thermogenic genes, policosanol and octacosanol increased BAT activation, while inhibiting cholesterol synthesis through downregulation of Ldlr expression. Altogether, policosanol and octacosanol demonstrate powerful effects on lipid metabolism and appear to play a key role in the regulation of thermogenesis and energy expenditure in BAT. They should be considered as potential therapeutic agents in the treatment and prevention of obesity and warrant further investigation in human models of metabolic disorder.

Source: Sharma R, Matsuzaka T, Kaushik MK, et al. Octacosanol and policosanol prevent high-fat diet-induced obesity and metabolic disorders by activating brown adipose tissue and improving liver metabolism. Scientific Reports. 2019; 9: 5169. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-41631-1.

© The Author(s) 2017 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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Posted May 26, 2021.

Angeline A. De Leon, MA, graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2010, completing a bachelor’s degree in psychology, with a concentration in neuroscience. She received her master’s degree from The Ohio State University in 2013, where she studied clinical neuroscience within an integrative health program. Her specialized area of research involves the complementary use of neuroimaging and neuropsychology-based methodologies to examine how lifestyle factors, such as physical activity and meditation, can influence brain plasticity and enhance overall connectivity.

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