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

Abstract

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 β‐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 β‐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.