fucoxanthin and Diabetes-Mellitus

Fucoxanthin is a xanthophyll carotenoid abundant in macroalgae, such as brown seaweeds. When fucoxanthin is consumed, it can be esterified or hydrolyzed to fucoxanthinol in the gastrointestinal tract and further converted into amarouciaxanthin A in the liver. It has a unique chemical structure that confers its biological effects. Fucoxanthin has a strong antioxidant capacity by scavenging singlet molecular oxygen and free radicals. Also, it exerts an anti-inflammatory effect. Studies have demonstrated potential health benefits of fucoxanthin for the prevention of chronic diseases, such as cancer, obesity, diabetes mellitus, and liver disease. Animal studies have shown that fucoxanthin supplementation has no adverse effects. However, investigation of the safety of fucoxanthin consumption in humans is lacking. Clinical trials are required to assess the safety of fucoxanthin in conjunction with the study of mechanisms by which fucoxanthin exhibits its health benefits. This review focuses on current knowledge of metabolism and functions of fucoxanthin with its potential health benefits. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Carotenoids recent advances in cell and molecular biology edited by Johannes von Lintig and Loredana Quadro.

Topics: Antioxidants; Chronic Disease; Diabetes Mellitus; Gastrointestinal Tract; Humans; Liver; Neoplasms; Obesity; Seaweed; Xanthophylls

Obesity, which results from an imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure, has become a major health risk factor worldwide, causing numerous and various diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases. Fucoxanthin, a specific carotenoid in brown algae, has garnered much attention for its anti-obesity and anti-diabetic effects attributable to a unique mechanism. Fucoxanthin induces uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) expression in white adipose tissue (WAT). That inner membrane mitochondrial protein, UCP1, can dissipate energy through oxidation of fatty acids and heat production. Furthermore, fucoxanthin improves insulin resistance and ameliorates blood glucose levels through down-regulation of adipocytokines related to insulin resistance in WAT and up-regulation of glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) in skeletal muscle. Algae fucoxanthin is a beneficial compound for the prevention of the metabolic syndrome.

Topics: Adipokines; Adipose Tissue, White; Animals; Blood Glucose; Diabetes Mellitus; Disease Models, Animal; Energy Metabolism; Fatty Acids; Gene Expression; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Glucose Transporter Type 4; Humans; Insulin Resistance; Ion Channels; Metabolic Syndrome; Mice; Mitochondrial Proteins; Muscle, Skeletal; Obesity; Oxidation-Reduction; Phaeophyceae; Phytotherapy; Uncoupling Protein 1; Xanthophylls

Fucoxanthin is a marine carotenoid found in brown seaweeds and several microalgae. It has been reported that fucoxanthin has health benefits such as anti-obesity and anti-diabetic effects. To facilitate fucoxanthin applications in the food industry, it is important to improve its low bioavailability. We attempted the combined feeding of fucoxanthin-containing seaweed oil (SO) and monocaprin in a powder diet and analyzed the fucoxanthin metabolite contents in the liver, small intestine and serum of diabetic/obese KK-

Topics: Animals; Biological Availability; Diabetes Mellitus; Glycerides; Mice; Mice, Obese; Obesity; Seaweed; Xanthophylls

Fucoxanthin (Fx) isolated from Undaria pinnatifida suppresses the development of hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia of diabetic/obese KK-A(y) mice after 2 weeks of feeding 0.2% Fx-containing diet. In the soleus muscle of KK-A(y) mice that were fed Fx, glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) translocation to plasma membranes from cytosol was promoted. On the other hand, Fx increased GLUT4 expression levels in the extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscle, although GLUT4 translocation tended to increase. The expression levels of insulin receptor (IR) mRNA and phosphorylation of Akt, which are in upstream of the insulin signaling pathway regulating GLUT4 translocation, were also enhanced in the soleus and EDL muscles of the mice fed Fx. Furthermore, Fx induced peroxisome proliferator activated receptor γ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α), which has been reported to increase GLUT4 expression, in both soleus and EDL muscles. These results suggest that in diabetic/obese KK-A(y) mice, Fx improves hyperglycemia by activating the insulin signaling pathway, including GLUT4 translocation, and inducing GLUT4 expression in the soleus and EDL muscles, respectively, of diabetic/obese KK-A(y) mice.

Topics: Animals; Biological Transport; Blood Glucose; Cell Membrane; Diabetes Mellitus; Female; Glucose Transporter Type 4; Insulin; Mice; Mice, Obese; Mice, Transgenic; Muscle, Skeletal; Obesity; Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma Coactivator 1-alpha; Receptor, Insulin; RNA, Messenger; Transcription Factors; Undaria; Xanthophylls

Fucoxanthin is a marine carotenoid found in edible brown seaweeds. We previously reported that dietary fucoxanthin attenuates the weight gain of white adipose tissue (WAT) of diabetic/obese KK- A(y) mice. In this study, to evaluate the antiobesity and antidiabetic effects of fucoxanthin and fish oil, we investigated the effect on the WAT weight, blood glucose, and insulin levels of KK- A(y) mice. Furthermore, the expression level of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) and adipokine mRNA in WAT were measured. After 4 weeks of feeding, 0.2% fucoxanthin in the diet markedly attenuated the gain of WAT weight in KK- A(y) mice with increasing UCP1 expression compared with the control mice. The WAT weight of the mice fed 0.1% fucoxanthin and 6.9% fish oil was also significantly lower than that of the mice fed fucoxanthin alone. In addition, 0.2% fucoxanthin markedly decreased the blood glucose and plasma insulin concentrations in KK- A(y) mice. The mice fed with the combination diet of 0.1% fucoxanthin and fish oil also showed improvements similar to that of 0.2% fucoxanthin. Leptin and tumor necrosis factor (TNFalpha) mRNA expression in WAT were significantly down-regulated by 0.2% fucoxanthin. These results suggest that dietary fucoxanthin decreases the blood glucose and plasma insulin concentration of KK- A(y) along with down-regulating TNFalpha mRNA. In addition, the combination of fucoxanthin and fish oil is more effective for attenuating the weight gain of WAT than feeding with fucoxanthin alone.

Topics: Adipose Tissue; Animals; Blood Glucose; Diabetes Mellitus; Diet; Female; Fish Oils; Mice; Mice, Obese; Obesity; Weight Gain; Xanthophylls