Purpose: The aim of this study was to analyze whether the combination of resveratrol and quercetin showed additive or synergic effects on body fat accumulation and triacylglycerol metabolism in adipose tissue from rats fed an obesogenic diet.
Methods: Rats were divided into four dietary groups: a control group and three groups each treated with either resveratrol (15 mg/kg/day; RSV), quercetin (30 mg/kg/day; Q), or both (15 mg resveratrol/kg/day and 30 mg quercetin/kg/day; RSV + Q) for 6 weeks. White adipose tissues from several anatomical locations were dissected. Serum parameters were analyzed by using commercial kits. The activities of fatty acid synthase and heparin-releasable lipoprotein lipase (HR-LPL) were measured using spectrophotometric and fluorimetric methods, and protein expression of acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), adipose tissue triglyceride lipase (ATGL), and hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) by western blot.
Results: The administration of either resveratrol or quercetin separately did not induce significant reductions in adipose tissue weights. By contrast, the combination of both molecules led to a significant reduction in all the fat depots analyzed. The percentage of reduction in each tissue was greater than the calculated additive effect. HR-LPL activity was reduced in RSV and RSV + Q groups. The activity of HSL was not modified. By contrast, ACC was inhibited and ATGL increased only by the combination of both polyphenols.
Conclusion: The results obtained demonstrate a synergistic effect between resveratrol and quercetin and suggest that when these molecules are combined, a great number of metabolic pathways involved in adipose tissue triacylglycerol accumulation are affected.
Keywords: Obesity; Quercetin; Rat; Resveratrol; White adipose tissue.