Seaweed Supplements Normalise Metabolic, Cardiovascular and Liver Responses in High-Carbohydrate, High-Fat Fed Rats

Abstract

Increased seaweed consumption may be linked to the lower incidence of metabolic syndrome in eastern Asia. This study investigated the responses to two tropical green seaweeds, Ulva ohnoi (UO) and Derbesia tenuissima (DT), in a rat model of human metabolic syndrome. Male Wistar rats (330–340 g) were fed either a corn starch-rich diet or a high-carbohydrate, high-fat diet with 25% fructose in drinking water, for 16 weeks. High-carbohydrate, high-fat diet-fed rats showed the signs of metabolic syndrome leading to abdominal obesity, cardiovascular remodelling and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Food was supplemented with 5% dried UO or DT for the final 8 weeks only. UO lowered total final body fat mass by 24%, systolic blood pressure by 29 mmHg, and improved glucose utilisation and insulin sensitivity. In contrast, DT did not change total body fat mass but decreased plasma triglycerides by 38% and total cholesterol by 17%. UO contained 18.1% soluble fibre as part of 40.9% total fibre, and increased magnesium, while DT contained 23.4% total fibre, essentially as insoluble fibre. UO was more effective in reducing metabolic syndrome than DT, possibly due to the increased intake of soluble fibre and magnesium.

Who are the future seaweed consumers in a Western society? Insights from Australia

“…Seaweed is a functional food which delivers numerous health benefits including the prevention of cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and digestive track and bone disease (Bouga and Combet 2015;Kumar et al 2015). Seaweed is gaining…”

Seaweeds in Human Health

“…Similar experiments realized by Bocanegra et al (2009) documented that both P. tenera (Nori) and L. digitata (Konbu) supplementation in the rat hypercholesterolemic diet had a positive effect on cholesterolemia and on lipid profile. Kumar et al (2015) investigated that rats fed with a Derbesia tenuissima-supplemented diet presented decreased plasma triglyceride and total cholesterol levels, while Ulva ohnoi, another green seaweed, had no effect on these parameters. Experiments on rats fed with diverse degraded forms of ulvan, a sulfated polysaccharide from Ulva pertusa have demonstrated a lowering effect on triglycerides, total-and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels and an elevated level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (Pengzhan et al, 2003).…”

“…A later study measured the responses to 8-week supplementation with two tropical green seaweeds, U. ohnoi and D. tenuissima, on metabolic parameters and the cardiovascular system, and liver in rats fed a high-carbohydrate, high-fat diet as a model of metabolic syndrome (Kumar et al, 2015). A later study measured the responses to 8-week supplementation with two tropical green seaweeds, U. ohnoi and D. tenuissima, on metabolic parameters and the cardiovascular system, and liver in rats fed a high-carbohydrate, high-fat diet as a model of metabolic syndrome (Kumar et al, 2015).…”

Obesity: The Metabolic Disease, Advances on Drug Discovery and Natural Product Research

“…Supplementation with UO lowered final body fat mass and improved glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity. In contrast, supplementation with DT did not change the total body fat mass but decreased plasma triglycerides and total cholesterol [144].…”