We tested the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) agonistic activity of a Garcinia mangostana pericarp extract to develop a treatment for the metabolic syndrome, and demonstrated -mangostin to be an active compound on the basis of a luciferase reporter gene assay. -Mangostin induced the expression of the uncoupling protein-3 (UCP-3) gene which is related to energy expenditure and fat metabolism in L6 cells. We showed that -mangostin is a dual agonist that activates both PPAR and

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... AR. -Mangostin also induced the expression of acyl-CoA synthase and carnitine palmitoyl-transferase 1A genes in HepG2 cells. These results suggest the potential of -mangostin as a preventive agent of the metabolic syndrome.