The present study investigated the anti-obesity effects of enzyme-treated Ecklonia cava extract (EEc) in C57BL/6N mice with high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity. The EEc was separated and purified with the digestive enzymes pectinase (Rapidase X-Press L) and cellulase (Rohament CL) and its effects on the progression of HFD-induced obesity were examined over 10 weeks. The mice were divided into 6 groups (n=10/group) as follows: Normal diet group, HFD group, mice fed a HFD with 25 mg/kg/day Garcinia cambogia extract and mice fed a HFD with 5, 25 or 150 mg/kg/day EEc (EHD groups). Changes in body weight, fat, serum lipid levels and lipogenic enzyme levels were determined. The body weight and liver weight were increased in the HFD group compared with those in the ND group, which was significantly reduced by EEc supplementation. In addition, significant reductions in epididymal, perirenal and mesenteric white adipose tissues were present in the EHD groups and all three EHD groups exhibited decreases in insulin, leptin and glutamate pyruvate transaminase levels compared with those in the HFD group. In addition, EEc treatment significantly decreased the serum and hepatic triglyceride levels compared with those in the HFD group. However, the levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol/total cholesterol ration increased significantly in EHD-25 and -150 groups compared with those in the HFD group. Changes in adipogenic and lipogenic protein expression in the liver was assessed by western blot analysis. The EHD-25 and -150 groups exhibited reduced levels of CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein α and peroxisome proliferator activated receptor γ. However, the phosphorylation ratios of AMP-activated protein kinase and acetyl-CoA carboxylase were significantly increased in the liver tissue obtained from the EHD (5, −25 and -150 mg/kg/day) groups compared with those in the HFD group. EEc supplementation reduced levels of sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c, adipose fatty acid-binding protein, fatty acid synthase and leptin, while it significantly increased glucose transporter type 4 and adiponectin protein levels in the liver tissues of all three EHD groups compared with those in the HFD group. Taken together, these results suggest that EEc exerts anti-obesity effects by reducing body weight and the serum and hepatic levels of obesity-associated factors. Thus, EEc supplementation reduces HFD-induced obesity in C57BL/6N mice and has the potential to prevent obesity and subsequent metabolic disorders.

Obesity is a worldwide problem that contributes to serious diseases, including diabetes, hypertension, and atherosclerosis. Recently, much research has examined functional natural materials and their anti-obesity activity. This study investigated the effect of enzyme-treated Ecklonia cava extracts on mice fed a high fat diet. To test the anti-obesity effects of a diet containing the enzyme-treated E. cava extracts (EEc), C57BL/6NTacSam mice were divided into six groups : normal diet (ND), high-fat diet (HFD), high-fat with Garcinia extract diet (GHD), and three high-fat with EEc diet (EHD250, EHD500, and EHD1000) groups. After 9 weeks, body weight was increased significantly in the HFD group compared to all of the EHD groups, and the weights of the liver, perirenal fat and epididymal fat paralleled the increase in body weight. The serum GOT, GPT, triglyceride, total cholesterol, and LDL-cholesterol levels were lower in the EHD1000 group than in the HFD group. The glucose and leptin concentrations were lowest in the EHD1000 group and C/EBP family expression was decreased in a dose-dependent manner. These results indicate that E. cava extracts not only have anti-oxidation functions but also anti-obesity effects.