Relationship between the acyl chain length of paradol analogues and their antiobesity activity following oral ingestion

6-Paradol is known to activate thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue (BAT), and paradol analogues with different acyl chain lengths possess different pungency thresholds. In this study, the influence of the acyl chain length on the antiobesity activity of the paradol analogues was investigated. The antiobesity activity of 6-paradol in mice fed a high-fat diet for 8 weeks was greater than that of dihydrocapsiate. A comparison of the antiobesity activities of zingerone and 6-paradol showed that the length of the acyl chain in the paradol analogue was important for strong activity. Furthermore, the antiobesity activities of 6-, 8-, and 12-paradol appeared to decrease in an acyl chain length-dependent manner. The mechanism of the antiobesity activity of 6-paradol was enhanced by increasing levels of energy metabolism in the BAT, as well as an increase in the expression of uncoupling proteins 1 via the activation of sympathetic nerve activity.