Bioactive Fraction of _Aronia melanocarpa_ Fruit Inhibits Adipogenic Differentiation of Cultured 3T3-L1 Cells  
[PERSON]  
1 Department of Biomedical Science and Technology, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Korea; [EMAIL_ADDRESS]
2 Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Seoul 02447, Korea  
2  
[PERSON]  
3 Department of Endocrinology & Metabolism, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Korea;  
3 [EMAIL_ADDRESS]
4 Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Medical Science Research Institute, Seoul 02447, Korea;  
5 [EMAIL_ADDRESS]  
[PERSON]  
5 Research Institute, JBKLAB, 464 Dunchon-daero, Jungwon-gu, Sungnam 13229, Korea; [EMAIL_ADDRESS]  
[PERSON]  
5 Research Institute, JBKLAB, 464 Dunchon-daero, Jungwon-gu, Sungnam 13229, Korea; [EMAIL_ADDRESS]  
[PERSON]  
1 Department of Biomedical Science and Technology, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Korea;  
2  
Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Seoul 02447, Korea;  
2  
Footnote 1: [[https://www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci](https://www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci)]([https://www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci](https://www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci))  
[EMAIL_ADDRESS]  
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Footnote 2: [[https://www.mdpi.com/journals/article/pdf/10.1002/10](https://www.mdpi.com/journals/article/pdf/10.1002/10)]([https://www.mdpi.com/journals/article/pdf/10.1002/10](https://www.mdpi.com/journals/article/pdf/10.1002/10)).  
3T3-L1 cells are widely used in in vivo studies of adipogenesis and obesity [9; 10]. During adipocyte differentiation, pre-adipocytes differentiate into mature adipocytes, which are regulated by various transcription factors, such as CCAAT enhancer-binding proteins (C/EBPs) and the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) [11]. Among these, C/EBP\(\alpha\) and PPARy regulate other genes involved in adipogenic pathways, such as fatty acid-binding proteins (FABPs) and lipoprotein lipase (LPL) [12]. In the final stage of adipocyte differentiation (lipid metabolism), fatty acid synthase (FAS) regulates adipocyte differentiation [12; 13; 14]. Adipokines (adiponectin and leptin), the final product of lipid metabolism, are involved in various signaling pathways during adipocyte differentiation [13; 14]. Additionally, lipids accumulate excessively in adipocytes as lipid droplets [15; 16].  
_Aronia melanocarpa_ is a species of shrub in the Rosaceae family that originates in eastern North America. _A. melanocarpa_ fruit extract (ABF\({}^{\circled{B}}\), _Aronia_ bioactive fraction) is one of the most abundant sources of polyphenols and major anthocyanins [17; 18]. _A. melanocarpa_ fruit is traditionally known for its protective effects against various pathological conditions, such as common colds and inflammation, and is used as a herbal medicine and functional (natural) food [17; 18]. _A. melanocarpa_ fruit is the main ingredient in juices, jams, wines, and cakes, and is an affluent natural food source [17; 19; 20]. Moreover, previous studies have revealed that _A. melanocarpa_ fruit has antioxidant, anticancer, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, cardioprotective, anti-atherosclerotic, and anti-obesity effects [18; 21]. Various studies (in vivo, in vitro, and clinical studies) have shown that _Aronia_ extracts positively affect human health. In particular, _Aronia_ affects lipid metabolism and fatty acid signaling pathways. _Aronia_ inhibits the total synthesis and absorption of cholesterol and eventually improves lipid metabolism [18; 21]. However, there are few studies on the anti-adipogenic effects of _A. melanocarpa_ fruit extracts on adipocyte differentiation.  
In the present study, we determined whether _A. melanocarpa_ fruit extract has inhibitory effects on 3T3-L1 cell differentiation and measured changes in lipid metabolism, various biomarkers, and adipokines.