Abstract
Ginger has been reported to show many health enhancement effects. We prepared a hexane extract of raw ginger (HRG) under
low temperature, and examined its anti-obesity effects using 3T3-L1 cells. HRG promoted adipocyte differentiation in a dosedependent
manner and enhanced the expression levels of adipocyte-specific genes, such as adiponectin and Glut4 . HRG also
exhibited peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ ligand activity, similar to antidiabetic drug thiazolidinediones, which
promoted adipocyte differentiation and increased small adipocytes. In addition, HRG showed a tendency to suppress the action
of tumor necrosis factor-α, which causes insulin resistance by downregulating the expression of adipocyte-specific genes. These
findings suggest that HRG would be utilized as a functional food material for the prevention of obesity and related diseases by
increasing small adipocytes.
