Chemical composition, anti-adipogenic effects and molecular interactions of Syzygium claviflorum fruit essential oil

Obesity is a global health concern associated with metabolic disorders such as type-2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. It results from excessive adipogenesis, regulated by key transcription factors PPARγ, C/EBPα, and SREBP-1, leading to fat accumulation. Due to the side effects of synthetic anti-obesity drugs, natural plant-based alternatives are gaining interest. This study evaluates the anti-adipogenic potential of Syzygium claviflorum essential oil using in vitro and in silico approaches. Hydrodistillation of S. claviflorum fruit oil had afforded a total of 23 components, representing 98.7% of the total composition. The major components were α-cadinol (26.7%), τ-muurolol (16.6%), epi-α- cadinol(11.4%), α-muurolene (8.4%), γ-muurolene (6.6%). The essential oil significantly reduced lipid accumulation in a dose-dependent manner, with 63.33% reduction at 50 µg/mL, comparable to NAC, a known adipogenesis inhibitor. qRT- PCR analysis demonstrated essential oil downregulated adipogenic transcription factors, particularly PPARγ (58.4%), C/EBPα (55.8%), and SREBP-1 (47.3%), along with lipid metabolism genes FAS, ACC, and aP2. Molecular docking confirmed that t-muurolol and epi-α-cadinol exhibited strong binding affinities with PPARγ, forming hydrophobic (π-alkyl, alkyl) interactions, potentially disrupting adipogenic signaling. These findings suggest the essential oil possesses anti- adipogenic activity and may serve as a natural anti-obesity agent.