Evaluation of the anti-obesity effect of the microalga Phaeodactylum tricornutum

Abstract

Phaeodactylum tricornutum (PT) is a classical model diatom widely used in ecology, physiology, biochemistry, and molecular biology studies. We evaluated the anti-obesity effects of PT powder based on a number of metabolic parameters in a model of diet-induced obesity. We fed C57BL/6 mice a high-fat diet supplemented with PT powder (15 or 30 % w/v) for 12 weeks, and determined energy intake, weight loss, and lipid profiles each week. PT powder significantly reduced body weight gain, and epididymal and perirenal adipose tissue weight via activation of AMPK and HMGCR pathways. Moreover, we found that fucoxanthin, the putative anti-obesity compound in PT, was effectively micellized and transferred to the soluble fraction at the ileum in an in vitro simulated digestion system. Our results indicate that PT powder has an anti-obesity effect and suggest that it is a candidate substance for the development of anti-obesity foods, supplements, and even drugs.