A traditional fermented bamboo shoot reduces intracellular fat accumulation and promotes fat browning in differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocyte cells through the activation of the AMPK signaling pathway

Functional foods, such as fermented bamboo shoots, have a long history of consumption among the ethnic communities in northeast India. These locally fermented bamboo shoots contain a wealth of beneficial microbes and metabolites that can help combat metabolic syndromes like obesity. However, the precise effects and mechanism behind fermented bamboo shoot products and their anti-obesity properties remain unknown. This study aims to explore the different types of fermented bamboo shoot products to determine their potential anti-obesity effects as well as to analyze their microbial diversity and metabolite profiles. Using both culture-dependent and culture-independent methods, we found a high abundance of lactic acid bacteria from the Firmicutes and Proteobacteria phyla in the sample. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) based untargeted metabolite profiling detected several aroma-active compounds, bioactive metabolites, short-chain fatty acids, and essential amino acids in the samples. The water extract derived from a particular type of fermented bamboo shoot, Melye-amiley, was found to significantly reduce intracellular lipid accumulation in cultured 3T3-L1 cells. In addition, this extract increased the expression of lipolytic (hormone-sensitive lipase, lipoprotein lipase, and adipose triglyceride lipase) and browning regulator genes (uncoupling protein [UCP1], PRDM16, and PGC1-alpha). By activating the AMPK signaling pathway, the water extract from Melye-amiley also upregulated thermogenic protein expression and promoted mitochondrial biogenesis and fatty acid β-oxidation. These findings suggest that fermented bamboo shoot extract has promising anti-obesity effects by boosting energy expenditure in white adipocytes. Future research is necessary to identify the active ingredient(s) that may lead to new therapies to treat obesity.