Stimulators of adipogenesis from the marine sponge Xestospongia testudinaria

Adiponectin secretion from the mature adipocytes plays beneficial roles in diabetes mellitus and atherosclerosis, thereby diminishing the risk of metabolic syndrome. From the marine sponge Xestospongia testudinaria, we isolated five new brominated acetylenic fatty acids, including testufuran A, together with 11 known acetylenic acids. Most of them stimulated differentiation of preadipocytes to adipocytes and the resulting differentiated cells secreted adiponectin, which exhibits preferable effects toward a suite of conditions in cardiovascular disorders.