Anti-obesity effects of Phyllostachys pubescens and Scutellaria baicalensis complex

Anti-obesity drugs that have been developed so far have limited efficacies and considerable adverse effects affecting tolerability and safety. Therefore, most anti-obesity durgs have been withdrawn. We tried to develop an anti-obesity agent by combinations from herbs that are used in food ingredients as well as in traditional medicines. In our study, the ethanolic extracts from Bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens) leaf (BL) and Scutellaria baicalensis (SB) and their 1:1 combination (BLSB) was evaluated on high fat diet induced obese mice. BLSB group showed significant reductions in body weight gain and fat weights of liver and epididymal adipose tissue compared to BL or SB alone as well as control. Total-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol levels significantly decreased, and HDL-cholesterol level increased. In liver tissue, macrovesicular steaotisis was remarkably improved and its fat cell size was also significantly decreased. We have further investigated the anti-obesity effects by various combinations of the BL and SB as follows: BS31, BS21, BS11, BS12, and BS13 were formulated by mixing B and S at a ratio of 3:1, 2:1, 1:1, 1:2, and 1:3. All of these combinations in obesity mice reduced body weight, lipid accumulation in liver and adipose tissue as well as adipocyte size, compared to the high fat diet control mice. Among these combinations, the 2:1 combination (BS21) showed a remarkably effect. These results suggest that the combination preparations of bamboo leaf and S. baicalensis, especially their 2:1 combination, have anti-obesity effects with synergistic effect compared to bamboo leaf or S. baicalesis.