Carrageenan in meat: improvement in lipid metabolism due to Sirtuin1-mediated fatty acid oxidation and inhibited lipid bioavailability

Kappa-carrageenan (kappa-CGN) is widely used in the meat industry. However, its impact on the host metabolism is less revealed. The current study investigated the effect of kappa-CGN in pork-based diets on the lipid metabolism of male C57BL/6J mice. The kappa-CGN supplement significantly suppressed the increase in body weight by 6.79 g on an average. Supplement of kappa-CGN in high-fat diets significantly upregulated the genes and protein expression of Sirtuin1, which was accompanied by the increased gene expression of downstream fatty acids oxidation (Cpt1a and Acadl). The sirtuin1-mediated improvement of lipid metabolism was negatively associated with the levels of bile acids, especially for deoxycholic acid, 3 beta-cholic acid, glycodeoxycholic acid and glycolithocholic acid. Moreover, kappa-CGN in high-fat diets inhibited lipid digestion and absorption, being associated with the decrease in lipid accumulation and improved serum lipid profile. These results highlighted the role of kappa-CGN in alleviating diet-induced adiposity by promoting energy expenditure and suppressing the bioavailability of ingested lipids.

Automated summary

The study found that supplementing kappa-CGN in high-fat diets can suppress weight gain and improve lipid metabolism. Kappa-CGN can upregulate the genes and protein expression of Sirtuin1, promote fatty acid oxidation, and inhibit lipid digestion and absorption, thereby reducing lipid accumulation and improving serum lipid profile.