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bioRxiv · 10.64898/2026.05.15.725368

Quercetin Promotes Adipose Thermogenesis and Metabolic Health

Xu, Z. q.·Gao, X.·Sun, J.·Jiang, M.·Zhu, J.·Geng, Y.·Jin, S.·Wang, Y.·Xu, Y. J.
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Abstract

The activation of thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue (BAT) represents a pivotal target for ameliorating disorders of glucose and lipid metabolism. This study sought to elucidate the regulatory effects of quercetin on thermogenesis and glucose-lipid metabolism within brown adipocytes, alongside its underlying molecular mechanisms. The findings demonstrated that quercetin markedly upregulated the expression of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1), a critical thermogenic protein in brown adipocytes, thereby enhancing cellular thermogenic capacity and effectively mitigating glucose and lipid metabolism disorders. Subsequent mechanistic investigations confirmed that quercetin activated the COX2-PGE2-EP4-UCP1 signaling axis by augmenting the stability of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2) protein, thus mediating its thermogenic-promoting and metabolism-improving effects. This study identifies quercetin as a potential therapeutic agent for the improvement of glucose and lipid metabolism disorders, uncovers a novel molecular mechanism through which quercetin regulates brown adipocyte thermogenesis, and provides a theoretical and experimental foundation for the application of quercetin in the prevention and treatment of obesity and related metabolic diseases.

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Xu, Z. q., Gao, X., Sun, J., Jiang, M., Zhu, J., Geng, Y., Jin, S., Wang, Y., Xu, Y. J.. 2026-05-17. Quercetin Promotes Adipose Thermogenesis and Metabolic Health. https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.05.15.725368

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