Abstract
Obesity is a serious metabolic syndrome characterized by high levels of cholesterol, lipids in the blood, and intracellular fat accumulation in adipose tissues. It is known that the suppression of adipogenic protein expression is an effective approach for the treatment of obesity, and regulates fatty acid storage and transportation in adipose tissues. The 60% ethanol extract of Grateloupia elliptica (GEE), a red seaweed from Jeju Island in Korea, was shown to exert anti-adipogenic activity in 3T3-L1 cells and in mice with high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity. GEE inhibited intracellular lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 cells, and significantly reduced expression of adipogenic proteins. In vivo experiments indicated a significant reduction in body weight, as well as white adipose tissue (WAT) weight, including fatty liver, serum triglycerides, total cholesterol, and leptin contents. The expression of the adipogenic proteins, SREBP-1 and PPAR-γ, was significantly decreased by GEE, and the expression of the metabolic regulator protein was increased in WAT. The potential of GEE was shown in WAT, with the downregulation of PPAR-γ and C/EBP-α mRNA; in contrast, in brown adipose tissue (BAT), the thermogenic proteins were increased. Collectively, these research findings suggest the potential of GEE as an effective candidate for the treatment of obesity-related issues via functional foods or pharmaceutical agents.
Highlights
Over the past four decades, the populations of overweight and obese individuals have increased steadily in several countries [1,2,3]
The inhibitory effects of Grateloupia elliptica (GEE) on adipocyte differentiation and lipid accumulation were examined by using the Oil Red O (ORO) staining assay
The oral administration of GEE significantly reduced SREBP-1 and PPAR-γ protein expression in white adipose tissues. These results demonstrated that GEE could regulate adipogenic proteins in mouse white adipose tissue
Summary
Over the past four decades, the populations of overweight and obese individuals have increased steadily in several countries [1,2,3]. Owing to the harmful side effects of synthetic agents, many researchers have focused on the development of natural anti-obesity agents that do not induce any adverse effects in the human body. Natural products, such as polyphenols, alkaloids, terpenoids, organosulfur compound, phytosterols, and bioactive compounds obtained from land-based and marine resources, were shown to exhibit anti-obesity effects through the regulation of obesity-related risk factors [23,24,25,26,27,28]. It was revealed that an ethanol extract prepared from red seaweed exerted anti-adipogenic activities in 3T3-L1 adipocytes [25,26,38,39]
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