First Evidence for the Anti-inflammatory Activity of Fucoxanthin in High-Fat-Diet-Induced Obesity in Mice and the Antioxidant Functions in PC12 Cells

Obesity, characterized as a state of low-level inflammation, is a powerful determinant influencing the development of insulin resistance and progression to type 2 diabetes. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory activity of fucoxanthin in experimental high-fat-diet-induced obesity in mice and antioxidant activity in PC12 cells under oxidative stress situation. The anti-inflammatory potential of fucoxanthin in the regulation of maleic dialdehyde (MDA), polymorphonuclear cells (PMNs), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) was determined by ELISA. Fucoxanthin significantly inhibited obesity-induced upregulation of the production of IL-1 beta, TNF-alpha, iNOS, and COX-2. Moreover, fucoxanthin suppressed MDA and infiltration of PMNs. The protective effects were associated with lack of hypertrophy and crown-like structures in mammary gland. At the same time, fucoxanthin showed an advantage of antioxidant activity in PC12 cells under oxidative stress situation. These results suggest that supplementation of fucoxanthin is a promising strategy for blocking macrophage-mediated inflammation and inflammation-induced obesity and its associated complications.