TITLE:
Anti-Obesity Effect and the Associated Amelioration of Glucose Intolerance and Hepatic Steatosis of an Herbal Formula (SSEM) on High-Fat Diet Fed Mice
AUTHORS:
Kam Ming Ko, Hoi Yan Leung
KEYWORDS:
Herbal Formulation, Anti-Obesity, Metabolic Syndrome
JOURNAL NAME:
Chinese Medicine,
Vol.17 No.2,
June
4,
2026
ABSTRACT: Traditional Chinese medicine has a long history of application in treating diseases characterized by metabolic dysregulation. The present investigation sought to determine if the herbal formulation SSEM could ameliorate the pathological manifestations of metabolic syndrome in a murine model of high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity. Our results demonstrated that concurrent administration of SSEM significantly attenuated body weight gain and reduced adiposity, which was accompanied by improved glucose tolerance. The HFD-induced increases in hepatic lipids were also reduced. The proposed mechanism of action suggests that SSEM exerts its beneficial effects by reducing insulin resistance, likely through decreased adiposity, thereby potentiating insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in skeletal muscle. Therefore, SSEM offers a potential means for ameliorating glucose intolerance and hepatosteatosis, particularly those arising from excessive fat accumulation.