Comparison of Anti-Obesity Effects of Ginger Extract Alone and Mixed with Long Pepper Extract

Obesity is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by the excessive expansion of adipose tissue and impaired energy homeostasis. This study evaluated the anti-obesity effects of ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) extract, as well as a mixture of ginger extract and long pepper (Piper longum L.) extract, in high-fat diet-induced obese mice. Mice were orally administered ginger extract (60 mg/kg/day) or a mixture of ginger extract and long pepper extract (1:1 ratio, 30 mg/kg/day each) for 8 weeks. Treatment with ginger extract alone significantly reduced body weight gain and visceral and subcutaneous fat mass compared to high-fat diet group. In contrast to the ginger extract alone, the mixture of long pepper extract resulted in less pronounced anti-obesity benefits. Ginger extract promotes lipolysis through the activation of the protein kinase A (PKA) signaling pathway and induces the browning of white adipose tissue by upregulating uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) expression. Notably, ginger extract alone demonstrated superior anti-obesity effects by improving glucose homeostasis and lipid profiles, as well as modulating adipose tissue metabolic processes more effectively than the mixture of ginger extract and long pepper extract. These findings indicate that ginger extract may serve as a promising natural agent for the prevention and management of obesity-related metabolic dysfunction.