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

Mol Nutr Food Res. 2009 Dec;53(12):1603-11. doi: 10.1002/mnfr.200900079.

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.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adipokines / blood
  • Adipose Tissue, Brown / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Anti-Obesity Agents / administration & dosage*
  • Anti-Obesity Agents / isolation & purification
  • Cell Size
  • Dietary Fats / administration & dosage
  • Intra-Abdominal Fat* / drug effects
  • Intra-Abdominal Fat* / enzymology
  • Intra-Abdominal Fat* / metabolism
  • Intra-Abdominal Fat* / pathology
  • Ion Channels / genetics
  • Ion Channels / metabolism*
  • Lipid Metabolism*
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mitochondrial Proteins / genetics
  • Mitochondrial Proteins / metabolism*
  • Obesity / blood
  • Obesity / enzymology
  • Obesity / prevention & control
  • Random Allocation
  • Time Factors
  • Uncoupling Agents / metabolism*
  • Uncoupling Protein 1
  • Uncoupling Protein 2
  • Uncoupling Protein 3
  • Undaria / chemistry
  • Weight Gain
  • Xanthophylls / administration & dosage*
  • Xanthophylls / isolation & purification

Substances

  • Adipokines
  • Anti-Obesity Agents
  • Dietary Fats
  • Ion Channels
  • Mitochondrial Proteins
  • Ucp1 protein, mouse
  • Ucp2 protein, mouse
  • Ucp3 protein, mouse
  • Uncoupling Agents
  • Uncoupling Protein 1
  • Uncoupling Protein 2
  • Uncoupling Protein 3
  • Xanthophylls
  • fucoxanthin