Cucumis Melo L. alleviates obesity and insulin resistance in obese human subjects and high fat diet-induced obese mice

Obesity is a major risk factor for insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and dyslipidemia. Recent studies have shown that inflammation is a key mediator between obesity and insulin resistance. Despite intensive efforts to develop pharmaceuticals for treating obesity and insulin resistance, these efforts have not been very successful in managing the symptoms and preventing multiple complications. Here, we discovered a novel therapeutic application of Cucumis Melo L. (Cucumis), traditionally used for treating edema and jaundice, as a therapy for obesity and insulin resistance. In a clinical study, oral treatment with Cucumis led to significant weight loss in 22 obese patients without any adverse events. A mouse study demonstrated that Cucumis treatment was effective for rescuing high fat diet-induced changes in body weight, epididymal fat weight, glucose, insulin, cholesterol, and insulin resistance without liver or renal toxicity. Additionally, Cucumis showed an anti-inflammatory effect, as evidenced by reduced adipose tissue macrophages, decreased expression of tumor necrosis factor-a and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 in fat, and higher gene expression of insulin signaling proteins in the liver. With these findings, we suggest that oral treatment with Cucumis is promising for treating obesity and insulin resistance through an anti-inflammatory mechanism.