Flavonoids from Rosa roxburghii Tratt fermentation broth inhibit adipogenesis via the SIRT1 pathway: insights from metabolomics and network pharmacology

Abstract

This study explored the metabolic shifts in Rosa roxburghii Tratt juice (RRTJ) following fermentation and assessed its impact on adipocyte differentiation. Non-targeted metabolomics revealed significant changes, particularly in flavor-related compounds and flavonoid profiles, with KEGG enrichment analysis highlighting energy metabolism and secondary metabolic pathways. Cluster analysis categorized differentially expressed metabolites into flavor-forming and anti-inflammatory/antioxidant groups. Quantitatively, RRT extract had a flavonoid content of 7.64% (0.764 mg mL⁻¹), while RRTJ and Rosa roxburghii Tratt fermentation broth (RRTFB) contained 1.31% and 1.13% flavonoids, respectively. Network pharmacology identified nine key anti-inflammatory/antioxidant compounds, four of which were flavonoids, with molecular docking confirming strong binding affinities to SIRT1. In vitro experiments using 3T3-L1 cells demonstrated that RRT-derived flavonoids inhibited adipocyte differentiation by regulating SIRT1 expression. RRT-derived flavonoids exert anti-adipogenic effects via SIRT1 pathway activation, offering insights into its functional properties and processing applications.