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Suppressive effects of the marine carotenoids, fucoxanthin and fucoxanthinol on triglyceride absorption in lymph duct-cannulated rats

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Abstract

Background

Fucoxanthin isolated from edible seaweeds and its metabolite fucoxanthinol have been recently found to have anti-obesity effects, but the mechanism is not fully understood.

Aim of study

We investigated the effects of these carotenoids on the absorption of triglycerides in conscious rats implanted with cannulae into a lymph duct and the portal or jugular vein.

Methods

A duodenal infusion of 1 ml of test oil emulsion with or without 2 mg of fucoxanthin or fucoxanthinol was administered in the lymph duct and the portal (Experiment 1) or the jugular vein (Experiment 2) cannulated rats. The test oil contained 10% soybean oil (Experiment 1) and pre-digested 10% soybean oil (Experiment 2). The inhibitory activities of these carotenoids on pancreatic lipase activity were measured in vitro.

Results

Increases in lymphatic and blood triglyceride levels were much lower in the two carotenoid-treated groups than in the carotenoid-free group, indicating that these carotenoids inhibit triglyceride absorption. The total amounts of triglycerides released into the lymph after 4 h in the carotenoid-free, fucoxanthin and fucoxanthinol groups were 113.5, 59.4 and 53.1 μmol, respectively. The inhibitory effects of carotenoids were completely abolished after an infusion of pre-digested soybean oil containing carotenoids. Furthermore, these carotenoids inhibited pancreatic lipase activity in vitro. Regarding absorptive route, we found that fucoxanthinol, but not fucoxanthin, appeared in lymph fluid, whereas neither carotenoid was detected in portal blood.

Conclusion

These results show that these two marine carotenoids inhibit lipase activity in the gastrointestinal lumen and suppress triglyceride absorption, and fucoxanthin was converted to fucoxanthinol in the intestine and released into the lymph.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Meiji Dairies Research Chair, Creative Research Initiative Sousei (CRIS), Hokkaido University, Kita-21, Nishi-10, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 001-0021, Japan

    Megumi Matsumoto & Takaji Yajima

  2. Laboratory of Biofunctional Material Chemistry, Division of Marine Bioscience, Faculty of Fisheries Sciences, Hokkaido University, Hakodate, Hokkaido, 041-8611, Japan

    Masashi Hosokawa & Kazuo Miyashita

  3. Kyoto Institute of Nutrition and Pathology, 7-2 Furuiketani Tachikawa Ujitawara-cho, Kyoto, 610-0231, Japan

    Noriko Matsukawa

  4. Laboratory of Nutritional Biochemistry, Division of Applied Bioscience, Faculty of Agriculture, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-8589, Japan

    Masahito Hagio, Aki Shinoki, Megumi Nishimukai & Hiroshi Hara

Authors
  1. Megumi Matsumoto
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  2. Masashi Hosokawa
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  3. Noriko Matsukawa
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  4. Masahito Hagio
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  5. Aki Shinoki
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  6. Megumi Nishimukai
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  7. Kazuo Miyashita
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  8. Takaji Yajima
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  9. Hiroshi Hara
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Correspondence to Megumi Matsumoto.

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Matsumoto, M., Hosokawa, M., Matsukawa, N. et al. Suppressive effects of the marine carotenoids, fucoxanthin and fucoxanthinol on triglyceride absorption in lymph duct-cannulated rats. Eur J Nutr 49, 243–249 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-009-0078-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-009-0078-y

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