Betulinic Acid: A High Potential To Keep the Fat Off
Recent studies have shown that an extract from Alnus Hirsuta (Manchurian Alder) is a potent fat burner in mice. Essentially, it serves as a diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT) inhibitor in the liver. DGAT is primarily responsible for triglyceride accumulation in tissues because it catalyzes the final reactions in the known pathways of mammalian triglyceride synthesis. Increased triglyceride accumulation can lead to obesity. It has been observed in mice lacking DGAT they have increased energy expenditure and increased insulin sensitivity and marketdly less adipose tissue mass. This may seem great at first but keep in mind triglycerides are an an integral component of lipoprotein particles synthesized by the liver and small intestine, skin sebum secreted by sebaceous glands, and milk produced by mammary glands in females. Total inhibition by a supplement would probably not be wise. Since this has also inhibited triglyceride (TG) formation by human HepG2 cells it has obvious merits in a supplment and as some researchers or pointing out, the treatment of obesity. It’s a fine line to be walked but I’m sure someone can come up with the right play on words so a supplement using betulinic won’t be miscontrued to treat a disease. This is obvious one small puzzle in the potential uses of triterpenoid glycosides and their potential as herbal sources for fat burning supplements.
