Discovery, preparation and characterization of lipid-lowering alkylphenol derivatives from Syzygium jambos fruit

[Display omitted] •Cardanols and alkylresorcinols are isolated from S. jambos fruit.•Cardanols reduce TG content in OA-overloaded HepG2 cells.•Cardanols activate AMPK/PPARα signaling in OA-overloaded HepG2 cells.•An enrichment method for alkylphenols from S. jambos fruit is established.•Characterization of alkylphenols is achieved with 1H NMR data analysis. The chemical characteristics and hypolipidemic effects of alkylphenols in the fruit of Syzygium jambos were investigated in this study. Three cardanols (1–3; 1 as a new compound) and three alkylresorcinols (4–6) were isolated and identified from S. jambos fruit. Cardanols 1 and 2 (10–40 μM) suppressed lipids accumulation and reduced triglyceride content in oleic acid-overloaded HepG2 cells via the activation of AMPK/PPARα signaling pathways. Furthermore, the biological distribution of cardanols after an oral intake in mice was investigated. Compound 2 was detected in mice plasma, feces, and adipose tissues after a single oral intake (80 mg/kg body weight). In addition, an alkylphenols-enriched S. jambos fruit extract containing two bioactive compounds (95.9 and 198.6 μg/mg of compounds 1 and 2, respectively) was prepared. Findings from the current study highlight the potential usage of cardanols as well as S. jambos fruit for the management of dyslipidemia.