Figure 3

Effects of BBR and herbal extracts on the adipogenesis of 3T3-L1 adipocytes. 3T3-L1 cells were differentiated through incubation with a differentiation cocktail (medium 2 containing dexamethasone, IBMX and insulin mixture), followed by an additional growth phase in dexamethasone- and IBMX-free medium (medium 3 containing insulin). (A) Addition of BBR and herbal extracts in medium 3 during the post-differentiation phase. (B) Addition of BBR and herbal extracts in medium 2 during differentiation. (C) BBR treatment during differentiation with various concentrations. (D) C. chinensis (CC) treatment during differentiation with various concentrations. Cells were fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde and stained with Nile red at day 10–12 after the start of differentiation. Lipid accumulation was assessed by measuring the fluorescence intensity on a plate reader. Error bars are based on the SEM of at least three independent experiments. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001 and ****p < 0.0001, significantly reduced Nile red signal of cells treated with the indicated substances compared to untreated control cells.