Scientists find anti-obesity properties in Tripura's fermented bamboo shoot extract

New Delhi: Indian scientists have found promising anti-obesity properties in the extract of a fermented bamboo shoot from Tripura, opening the doors for further exploration of the medicinal properties of this traditional pickle-like delicacy

Bamboo shoots are popular in the northeast and have a long history of consumption among the ethnic communities. While their nutritional benefits are widely known, this is the first reporting of the traditional food’s anti-obesity property.

Previous studies have shown that fermented bamboo shoots are more nutritious with high levels of proteins, vitamins, and other health-beneficial compounds than in regular bamboo shoots, but their capacity to combat obesity remained unexplored.

Examining water extracts of five different types of shoots sourced from Tripura, Manipur and Assam, Guwahati scientists now report that a traditional fermented bamboo shoot variety of Tripura, known as melye-amiley is an “attractive target for anti-obesity therapeutics” as it can accelerate calorie burn up and reduce fat accumulation in cells.

“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,” the team from the Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology, Guwahati reported.

White adipocytes are the commonest form of fat cells in the human body whose burn up in the body is accelerated by the melye-amiley shoots.

The IASST researchers showed that Tripura shoots not only help burn fat faster but can also reduce intracellular lipid accumulation. They also provided an insight into the biochemical pathways that led to such properties.

“This study represents a promising finding as water extract of melye-amiley is associated with enhanced thermogenesis, making it an attractive target for anti-obesity therapeutics. Additionally, we found that it reduces lipogenesis, further supporting its potential as an anti-obesity agent,” they reported in Food Frontiers.

Since the initial findings are based on in-vitro laboratory studies, the team said further in-depth studies would be crucial to confirm the findings in vivo.

Also subsequent animal studies would be necessary to validate the effectiveness of melye-amiley as an anti-obesity therapeutic.