Combination of fucoxanthin and conjugated linoleic acid attenuates body weight gain and improves lipid metabolism in high-fat diet-induced obese rats

The present study investigated the effects of combined fucoxanthin (Fc) and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) on high-fat diet-induced obese rats. Thirty five rats were divided into four groups, fed a high-fat diet (Control, 15% fat, wt/wt), supplemented with low Fc (FCL, 0.083 mg/kg/bw), high Fc (FCH, 0.167 mg/kg/bw) and FCL (0.083 mg/kg/bw) plus CLA (0.15 g/kg/bw) (FCL + CLA) for 52 d. Body weight and white adipose tissue (WAT) weight were significantly suppressed in FCL + CLA group than those in control group. WAT weight was also markedly attenuated in FCL and FCH groups. Accumulation of hepatic lipid droplets and the perirenal adipocyte size of FCL, FCH and FCL + CLA groups were diminished compared to control group. Serum total cholesterol level in FCH group, triacylglycerol and leptin levels in FCL, FCH and FCL + CLA groups, and glucose concentration in FCH and FCL + CLA groups were significantly decreased than those in control group. The mRNA expression of adiponectin, adipose triacylglycerol lipase, carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A was remarkably up-regulated in FCL, FCH and FCL + CLA groups. These results suggest that Fc and FCL + CLA could reduce serum levels of triacylglycerol, glucose and leptin, and FCL + CLA could exert anti-obesity effects by regulating mRNA expression of enzymes related to lipid metabolism in WAT of diet-induced obesity rats. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.