Novel Complex Helps to Ameliorate Obesity and Lower Lipid
According to statistics, the number of overweight and obese people was close to a quarter of the total population in China. Obesity can lead to cardiovascular, digestive and tumor-related diseases. Therefore, the research of safe and effective weight loss products has become the focus on the medical and health food research.
Recently, the research team led by Prof. WANG Guangce from the Institute of Oceanology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences discovered that the phycobiliproteins, fucoxanthin, and krill oil (PFK) complex could weight loss and reduce fat.
The study was published in Nutrients on Nov. 14.
Researchers prepared the PFK complex to assess the anti-obesity, lipid-lowering and antioxidant activities in high fat diet rats. The results showed that in the low dose of PFK complex, the weight gain of rats was significantly reduced, the serum biochemical parameters were adjusted, and the damage to organs was reduced with good safety. The molecular mechanism study suggested that the low dose of complex of PFK confined the rate-limiting enzyme activities of lipid synthesis (acetyl-CoA carboxylase and fatty acid synthase). The reduction of the content of these two enzymes can limit fat synthesis, inhibit adipocyte differentiation, and achieve the effect of weight loss and lipid reduction.
Besides, the PFK complex enhanced the antioxidant activities and glutathione (GSH) to alleviate the malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and lipid peroxidation, improved blood lipids and promoted the tricarboxylic acid cycle to reduce the complications of obesity. This appeared to play a synergistically role in anti-obesity. However, excessive the PFK complex intake may have side effects.
"The research provides a basis for anti-obesity, and the PFK complex may be used as a natural and healthy food and medicine for anti-obesity and lowering blood lipid in the future," said WANG Lijun, corresponding author of the study.
The research was funded by Major Scientific and Technological Innovation Projects of Shandong Province and the National Key R&D Program of China.
Fig. 1 Effects of PFK on serum lipids.
Fig. 2 Effects of PFK on lipid metabolism and antioxidant activity.
Xi Qiang, Chuanlong Guo, Wenhui Gu, Yuling Song, Yuhong Zhang, Xiangzhong Gong, Lijun Wang* and Guangce Wang*. (2022) The Complex of Phycobiliproteins, Fucoxanthin, and Krill Oil Ameliorates Obesity through Modulation of Lipid Metabolism and Antioxidants in Obese Rats. Nutrients, 14(22), 4815.
(Text by WANG Lijun)
Media Contact:
ZHANG Yiyi
Institute of Oceanology
E-mail: zhangyiyi@qdio.ac.cn
(Editor: ZHANG Yiyi)
