No abstract

This study wants to investigate the effects of kombucha tea based on seagrapes on blood glucose levels, total cholesterol, and PGC-1α in Swiss albino mice that were given cholesterol-and fat-enriched diets (CFED). Antiglycation, tyrosinase inhibitory, and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity were also determined. Forty male swiss webster albino mice weighing between 20 g-30 g were used for this study. Animals were distributed in random into 4 groups of 10 animals each; group A served as normal control (received standard dry pellet diet), group B were fed on CFED for 4 weeks, and groups C and D were fed on CFED and were administered 150 and 300 mg/kg of kombucha tea from seagrapes (Caulerpa racemosa) (p.o.). In vitro study show that the activity of anti-glycation, L-Tyrosine, L-Dopa, α-glucosidase, and α-amylase inhibition were 62.79 AE 0.78, 9.05 AE 0.16, 27.14 AE 1.62, 90.42 AE 0.77, and 80.44 AE 1.00, respectively. Group C has a better activity in increasing PGC-1-alpha serum in mice than group D (p < 0.05). There were no meaningful differences between group C and D in blood cholesterol and blood glucose reduction (p ¼ 0.222), both groups have the same effect in lowering total cholesterol and blood glucose in mice. In conclusion, kombucha tea from seagrapes has potential as an anti-ageing functional food.

Obesity is associated with an accelerated aging process, which prevents healthy aging. Both obesity and aging were manifested in the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator α (PGC-1α) level. These studies fulfill the scientific gap in assembled pharmacological activity assay of Caulerpa racemosa done in a previous preclinical trial. Six major compounds from sea grape (C. racemosa) extract were evaluated using an in silico approach against human pancreatic lipase, a-glucosidase, and a-amylase to predict prospective anti-obesity candidates. The lipase inhibitory activity of the extract reached 90.30 ± 0.40%, 1.75% lower than orlistat. The a-amylase inhibitory assay of the extract was 84.07 ± 5.28%, while the inhibitory activity against a-glucosidase was 81.67 ± 1.54%; both were lower than acarbose. We observe the effect of C. racemosa extract as anti-obesity with anti-aging by evaluating the obesity parameters in the human body for a 4-week period. There was a significant decrease in blood glucose, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), triglycerides (TG), waist circumference, waist-hip ratio, and body weight (p &lt; 0.05); PGC-1α and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) increased significantly (p = 0.000), in Group B when compared with Group A. Our study revealed that sea grape extract is a potent anti-obesity with an anti-aging reagent that does not produce any significant adverse effects.

Marine algae have excellent bioresource properties with potential nutritional and bioactive therapeutic benefits, but studies regarding Caulerpa lentillifera are limited. This study aims to explore the metabolites profile and the antioxidant, anticancer, anti-obesity, and in vitro cytotoxicity properties of fractionated ethanolic extract of C. lentillifera using two maceration and soxhlet extraction methods. Dried simplicia of C. lentillifera was mashed and extracted in ethanol solvent, concentrated and evaporated, then sequentially partitioned with equal volumes of ethyl acetate and n-hexane. Six samples were used in this study, consisting of ME (Maceration—Ethanol), MEA (Maceration—Ethyl Acetate), MH (Maceration—n-Hexane), SE (Soxhletation—Ethanol), SEA (Soxhletation—Ethyl Acetate), and SH (Soxhletation—n-Hexane). Non-targeted metabolomic profiling was determined using LC-HRMS, while antioxidant, anti-obesity, and anticancer cytotoxicity were determined using DPPH and ABTS, lipase inhibition, and MTT assay, respectively. This study demonstrates that C. lentillifera has several functional metabolites, antioxidant capacity (EC50 MH is very close to EC50 of Trolox), as well as anti-obesity properties (EC50 MH < EC50 orlistat, an inhibitor of lipid hydrolyzing enzymes), which are useful as precursors for new therapeutic approaches in improving obesity-related diseases. More interestingly, ME, MH, and SE are novel bioresource agents for anticancer drugs, especially for hepatoma, breast, colorectal, and leukemia cancers. Finally, C. lentillifera can be a nutraceutical with great therapeutic benefits.

No abstract

This study evaluated the effects of an aqueous extract of Caulerpa racemosa (AEC) on cardiometabolic syndrome markers, and the modulation of the gut microbiome in mice administered a cholesterol- and fat-enriched diet (CFED). Four groups of mice received different treatments: normal diet, CFED, and CFED added with AEC extract at 65 and 130 mg/kg body weight (BW). The effective concentration (EC50) values of AEC for 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), and lipase inhibition were lower than those of the controls in vitro. In the mice model, the administration of high-dose AEC showed improved lipid and blood glucose profiles and a reduction in endothelial dysfunction markers (PRMT-1 and ADMA). Furthermore, a correlation between specific gut microbiomes and biomarkers associated with cardiometabolic diseases was also observed. In vitro studies highlighted the antioxidant properties of AEC, while in vivo data demonstrated that AEC plays a role in the management of cardiometabolic syndrome via regulation of oxidative stress, inflammation, endothelial function (PRMT-1/DDAH/ADMA pathway), and gut microbiota.

Green alga Caulerpa racemosa is an underexploited species of macroalgae, even though it is characterized by a green color that indicates an abundance of bioactive pigments, such as chlorophyll and possibly xanthophyll. Unlike chlorophyll, which has been well explored, the composition of the carotenoids of C. racemosa and its biological activities have not been reported. Therefore, this study aims to look at the carotenoid profile and composition of C. racemose and determine their biological activities, which include antidiabetic, anti-obesity, anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, and cytotoxicity in vitro. The detected carotenoids were all xanthophylls, which included fucoxanthin, lutein, astaxanthin, canthaxanthin, zeaxanthin, β-carotene, and β-cryptoxanthin based on orbitrap-mass spectrometry (MS) and a rapid ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) diode array detector. Of the seven carotenoids observed, it should be highlighted that β-carotene and canthaxanthin were the two most dominant carotenoids present in C. racemosa. Interestingly, the carotenoid extract of C. racemosa has good biological activity in inhibiting α-glucosidase, α-amylase, DPPH and ABTS, and the TNF-α and mTOR, as well as upregulating the AMPK, which makes it a drug candidate or functional antidiabetic food, a very promising anti-obesity and anti-inflammatory. More interestingly, the cytotoxicity value of the carotenoid extract of C. racemosa shows a level of safety in normal cells, which makes it a potential for the further development of nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals.

Background: Sea grapes or  Caulerpa racemosa have a lot of phytochemical content, especially unsaturated fatty acids that are beneficial for health. This study aims to evaluate the effects of sea grapes extract on blood glucose levels, total cholesterol-, and Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator (PGC)-1α in male Wistar rats, which were given per-oral (p.o.) cholesterol- and carbohydrates fat-enriched diets (CFED). Methods: Forty male Wistar albino rats weighing between 200 – 250 g were used for this study. Animals were randomly distributed into four groups of ten animals each. Group A served as control (received standard dry pellet diet). Rats in group B were fed on CFED for 4 weeks.  Groups C and D were fed on CFED and were administered 150 and 450 mg/kg of  sea grapes extract (p.o.), respectively. Results: Group C rats indicated a blood glucose reduction and an increase in PGC-1α serum, in comparison to group D (p<0.05). There were no significant differences between group C and D in blood cholesterol reduction (high dose of the extract did not have significant effects) (p=0.222), and both groups had the same effect in lowering total cholesterol in rats. Conclusion: Sea grapes extract is proven to improve blood glucose, total cholesterol, and PGC-1α levels in rats fed with CFED.