Adiponectin is a cytokine that is secreted from adipose tissues (adipokine), which consists of a 60 amino acid (aa) N‑terminal collagenous region and a 137 aa C‑terminal C1q-like globular domain which can be cleaved by a leukocyte-derived elastase. Adiponectin is involved in a variety of physiological functions, molecular and cellular events, including lipid metabolism, energy regulation, immune response and inflammation, and insulin sensitivity and is negatively correlated with obesity, type 2 diabetes, and atherogenesis. It also has a protective effect on neurons and neural stem cells. Adiponectin can be found in three forms with different molecular weights, namely, a low molecular weight (LMW), a moderate molecular weight (MMW), and a high molecular weight (HMW) form. The various multimeric forms of Adiponectin exhibit distinct tissue specific and gender specific profiles and activities.