A Lipophilic Fucoxanthin-Rich Phaeodactylum tricornutum Extract Ameliorates Effects of Diet-Induced Obesity in C57BL/6J Mice

Abstract

Phaeodactylum tricornutum (P. tricornutum) comprise several lipophilic constituents with proposed anti-obesity and anti-diabetic properties. We investigated the effect of an ethanolic P. tricornutum extract (PTE) on energy metabolism in obesity-prone mice fed a high fat diet (HFD). Six- to eight-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were switched to HFD and, at the same time, received orally placebo or PTE (100 mg or 300 mg/kg body weight/day). Body weight, body composition, and food intake were monitored. After 26 days, blood and tissue samples were collected for biochemical, morphological, and gene expression analyses. PTE-supplemented mice accumulated fucoxanthin metabolites in adipose tissues and attained lower body weight gain, body fat content, weight of white adipose tissue (WAT) depots, and inguinal WAT adipocyte size than controls, independent of decreased food intake. PTE supplementation was associated with lower expression of Mest (a marker of fat tissue expandability) in WAT depots, lower gene expression related to lipid uptake and turnover in visceral WAT, increased expression of genes key to fatty acid oxidation and thermogenesis (Cpt1, Ucp1) in subcutaneous WAT, and signs of thermogenic activation including enhanced UCP1 protein in interscapular brown adipose tissue. In conclusion, these data show the potential of PTE to ameliorate HFD-induced obesity in vivo.

Coproduction of EPA and Fucoxanthin with P. tricornutum – A Promising Approach for Up‐ and Downstream Processing

“…Fucoxanthin has a unique structure compared to other carotenoids like beta-carotene due to its allenic bond, conjugated carbonyl group, 5,6-monoepoxideand carbonyl group. Because of its structure, fucoxanthin has anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, anti-obesity and anti-diabetic properties [12,[16][17][18][19][20][21]. Therefore, fucoxanthin is supposed to prevent and alleviate several chronic diseases.…”

Anti-Obesity Effects of Microalgae

“…All these genes were downregulated when Euglena extract was present in the medium, showing that its inhibitory effect on adipocyte-differentiation was caused by repressing the early stage of adipocyte-differentiation. These observations were confirmed when adipogenesis was evaluated by determining Oil Red O from cells treated with 20% of extract during adipocyte-differentiation (days 0-7) and from those cells treated during adipocyte maturation (days [8][9][10][11][12][13][14]. Constant supplementation (day 0-14) with Euglena extract inhibited lipid accumulation by approximately 50% as compared to the control cells.…”

“…Finally, Gille et al [11] incubated 3T3-L1 cells on day 7 of differentiation with an ethanolic extract of the same microalga, at a dose of 100 mg/L for 24 h. Moreover, they also tested its bioactive compound fucoxanthin at a concentration of 5 µM. According to the authors, each 100 mg/L of the microalga contained 3.6 µM of fucoxanthin.…”

“…Another microalga studied for its anti-obesity properties is Phaeodactylum tricornutum. Gille et al [11] analyzed the effects of this diatom microalga in adipose tissue in mice fed a HFD. For this purpose, male C75BL/6J mice were divided into three experimental groups: the HFD group fed a diet that provided 45% kcal from fat (mainly lard), the PE100 group fed the same diet supplemented with an ethanolic extract of the microalga, at a dose of 100 mg/kg body weight/day, and the PE300 group fed the same diet supplemented with an extract of the microalga, at a dose of 300 mg/kg body weight/day.…”

Advances in the Study of Marine Products with Lipid-Lowering Properties

“…Some studies show that fucoxanthin reduces the body weight and the epididymal fat weight in diabetic mice, upregulates the expression of AKT and Adenosine 5 -monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), downregulates the expression of GSK3, reduces plasma TG and TC levels, and improves lipid metabolism in diabetic mice [55]. Others have shown that fucoxanthin reduces body fat in mice induced by HFD, decreases lipid uptake and turnover in visceral WAT while upregulating the expression of related genes key to fatty acid oxidation and thermogenesis (CPT1, UCP1) in subcutaneous WAT and enhances UCP1 protein in interscapular brown adipose tissue to ease the accumulation of fat caused by HFD [59]. Fucoxanthin's ability to reduce body weight, BMI and abdominal fat and to improve body fat status by acting on visceral and subcutaneous fat is shown in the research conducted [60].…”