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The acidophilic microalga Coccomyxa onubensis and atorvastatin equally improve antihyperglycemic and antihyperlipidemic protective effects on rats fed on high-fat diets

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Abstract

Biomass of the acidophilic green alga Coccomyxa onubensis may be used as a food source for animals without collateral toxic effects, as diet supplemented the microalga has significant hypoglycemic and hypocholesterolemic effects on healthy animals. Rats were fed for 108 days with a high-fat diet, and at the end of the experiment, they were overweight and had significantly increased serum levels of glucose (2.0-fold), total cholesterol (1.6-fold), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol (7.7-fold). The supplement of C. onubensis powder (6.25% w/w dry weight) in the high-fat diet significantly protected the rats against cardiovascular risks by reducing the serum levels of glucose (38.47%), total cholesterol (22.65%), and LDL-cholesterol (26.70%). The protective effects of the microalga were comparable with that of 10 mg/kg body weight per day of atorvastatin. The high-fat diet decreased both ω–3 eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids in the brain tissue of rats; however, C. onubensis powder could not restrict these changes. Simultaneously, the high-fat diet increased the levels of both palmitic and arachidonic (ω–6) acids in the telencephalon tissue of rats; this was prevented when microalga biomass was used in the diet of rats.

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Funding

This study is funded by the University of Huelva and Andalusian Government (research project BIO–214).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Integrated Sciences, Cell Biology, RENSMA and Faculty of Experimental Sciences, University of Huelva, 21007, Huelva, Spain

    Francisco Navarro & Alberto Toimil

  2. Department of Chemistry, RENSMA and Faculty of Experimental Sciences, University of Huelva, Huelva, Spain

    Sara Ramírez

  3. Environmental and Computational Chemistry Group, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zaragocilla Campus, University of Cartagena, Cartagena, 130015, Colombia

    Yina Montero

  4. Algal Biotechnology Group, CIDERTA, RENSMA and Faculty of Sciences, University of Huelva, 21007, Huelva, Spain

    Juan Luis Fuentes & Carlos Vílchez

  5. Instituto de la Grasa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Sevilla, Spain

    Javier S. Perona

  6. Hospital of Huelva Infanta Elena, Huelva, Spain

    Miguel Ángel Castaño

  7. Department of Physiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Seville, Seville, Spain

    Rosario Pásaro

  8. Department of Plant Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Seville, Seville, Spain

    José M. Vega

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  1. Francisco Navarro
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Correspondence to Francisco Navarro.

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Navarro, F., Toimil, A., Ramírez, S. et al. The acidophilic microalga Coccomyxa onubensis and atorvastatin equally improve antihyperglycemic and antihyperlipidemic protective effects on rats fed on high-fat diets. J Appl Phycol 32, 3923–3931 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-020-02280-4

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