Decoding Anti-obesity Mechanisms of Adzuki Bean Saponin and Soyasaponin Ba: An Integrated Multi-Omics Approach and Experimental Validation | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Decoding Anti-obesity Mechanisms of Adzuki Bean Saponin and Soyasaponin Ba: An Integrated Multi-Omics Approach and Experimental Validation Jinhai Luo, Jincan Luo, Yingzi Wu, Baoning Liu, Nannan Wang, Bincheng Han, and 2 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8585610/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 11 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Adzuki bean saponin (ABS) has shown therapeutic potential in improving obesity, but its underlying mechanism and active saponin components are still unknown. The purpose of this research is to study the mechanism on how the ABS improves obesity and its active saponins and further explore the molecular mechanism by which this bioactive saponin improves obesity. This research estimated the bioactive effect of ABS in obesity using a mouse model. Through advanced research methods such as spatial metabolomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, serum pharmacology, and network pharmacology, the molecular mechanisms, active saponins in ABS, and their molecular mechanisms were explored. ABS achieved anti-obesity effects by improving HFD-induced body weight gain, abnormal lipid profiles and liver dysfunction liver lipid accumulation, and increased adipose tissue. Spatial metabolomics of liver suggested that ABS is capable in improving lipid metabolism through the arachidonic acid metabolic pathway. The results of transcriptomics, proteomics, and immunohistochemistry indicated that ABS could achieve the bioactive effects through activating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Serum pharmacology analysis revealed that soyasaponin Ba is a key saponin in ABS that achieves anti-obesity effects. Similarly, transcriptomics, network pharmacology, and immunofluorescence results indicated that Soyasaponin Ba can achieve anti-obesity effects by activating Wnt/β-catenin signaling and preventing the related downstream transcription factors C/EBPα and PPARγ. ABS and its active saponin Soyasaponin Ba can improve lipid accumulation and decrease adipose tissue by up-regulation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. This understanding of this mechanism provides valuable insights for developing drugs or health supplements based on adzuki beans to combat obesity. Biological sciences/Biochemistry Health sciences/Diseases Biological sciences/Drug discovery adzuki bean saponin obesity soyasaponin Ba Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway muti-omics Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Supplementary Files Supplementartymaterial.docx Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 09 Mar, 2026 Reviews received at journal 27 Feb, 2026 Reviews received at journal 17 Feb, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 09 Feb, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 08 Feb, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 06 Feb, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 04 Feb, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 03 Feb, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 16 Jan, 2026 Submission checks completed at journal 16 Jan, 2026 First submitted to journal 12 Jan, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8585610","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":585498527,"identity":"f8f4e9e4-ec43-4602-be89-a51d4e192548","order_by":0,"name":"Jinhai Luo","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Beijing Normal-Hong Kong Baptist University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Jinhai","middleName":"","lastName":"Luo","suffix":""},{"id":585498528,"identity":"6c6c1f5c-e8c6-476b-926a-a19c64de0b7b","order_by":1,"name":"Jincan Luo","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Guangzhou College of Technology and 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