Metabolaid ® Combination of Lemon Verbena and Hibiscus Flower Extract Prevents High-Fat Diet-Induced Obesity through AMP-Activated Protein Kinase Activation

Lemon verbena ( ) has been used as a food spice, cosmetic, and in traditional medicine formulations to treat asthma and diabetes in South America and Southern Europe. Hibiscus flower ( L.) is used in traditional Chinese medicine in the form of a tea to treat hypertension and inflammation. In the present study, we examined the synergistic effects of a formula of Metabolaid (MetA), a combination of lemon verbena and hibiscus-flower extracts, on obesity and its complications in high-fat-diet (HFD)-induced obese mice. The results showed that MetA decreased body weight, white adipose tissue (WAT), and liver weight. Additionally, serum and hepatic lipid profiles, glucose levels, glucose tolerance, and cold-induced thermogenesis were significantly improved. Appetite-regulating hormones adiponectin and leptin were significantly increased and decreased, respectively, while the inflammatory-related factors tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-6 were downregulated by MetA. Adipogenesis-activating gene expression was decreased, while increased thermogenesis-inducing genes were upregulated in the WAT, correlating with increased phosphorylation of AMPK and fatty-acid oxidation in the liver. Taken together, these results suggest that MetA decreased obesity and its complications in HFD mice. Therefore, this formula may be a candidate for the prevention and treatment of obesity and its complications.