Anti‐obese property of fucoxanthin is partly mediated by altering lipid‐regulating enzymes and uncoupling proteins of visceral adipose tissue in mice

Abstract

This study investigated the anti-obesity effects of fucoxanthin in diet-induced obesity mice fed a high-fat diet (20% fat, wt/wt). The mice were supplemented with two doses of fucoxanthin (0.05 and 0.2%, wt/wt) for 6 wk. Fucoxanthin significantly lowered body weight and visceral fat-pads weights compared with the control group without altering food intake. In epididymal adipose tissue of fucoxanthin-fed mice, adipocyte sizes and mRNA expression of lipogenic and fatty acid beta-oxidation enzymes were significantly altered in a dose-dependent manner. Plasma leptin level was significantly lower in the fucoxanthin groups than in the control group, while the adiponectin level was elevated. Fucoxanthin significantly down-regulated various lipogenic enzyme activities in epididymal adipose tissue with a simultaneous decrease in fatty acid beta-oxidation activity. The 0.2% fucoxanthin supplement led to increase mRNA expression of uncoupling protein-1 (UCP-1) and UCP-3 in brown adipose tissue and that of UCP-2 in the epididymal white adipose tissue. However, the 0.05% fucoxanthin only elevated UCP-1 mRNA expression in epididymal white adipose tissue. These results suggest that the anti-obesity effect of fucoxanthin could be mediated by altering lipid-regulating enzymes and UCPs in the visceral fat tissues and plasma adipokine levels.

Nutraceutical Effects of Fucoxanthin for Obesity and Diabetes Therapy: A Review

“…There was no significant difference in food intake among experimental diets. The same effect was reported for another algae extracts containing fucoxanthin 13 . Furthermore, UCP1 expression was found in WAT when KK-A y mice were fed Wakame lipid containing diets.…”

Biological activities and health benefit effects of natural pigments derived from marine algae

“…Those results suggest that fucoxanthin specifically suppress adiposity in the obese mice. The mechanisms of action for the observed antiobesity effect of fucoxanthin were mainly mediated by the induction of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) in abdominal WAT (Woo et al, 2009). UCP1 is inner-membrane mitochondrial protein that has the ability to dissipate energy through uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation which, instead of ATP, produces heat.…”

Hypocholesterolemic Effect and Pigments Composition of Herbal Medicine Containing Higher and Lower Plants

“…Moreover, among thousand types of carotenoids, fucoxanthin has typical activity due to its involvement in body lipid metabolism. Its intervention could be mediated by altering lipid-regulating enzymes and uncoupling proteins in the visceral fat tissues and plasma adipokine levels [44]. Fucoxanthin may also upregulate the expression of uncoupling protein 1 in white adipose tissue, the gene responsible for metabolic thermogenesis to avoid an excess of fat accumulation [45].…”