Caulerpa okamurae can potentially treat obesity and metabolic disorders

A recent study from South Korea’s Mokpo National University revealed that Caulerpa okamurae can be used for managing obesity and its accompanying metabolic disorders. The research was published in the journal Nutrition Research.

• Researchers have identified seaweeds as potential anti-obesity agents.
• In Japan, China, South Korea, and Australia, people have long consumed seaweed, especially that of the Caulerpa genus.
• For this study, they looked at whether C. okamurae has anti-obesity properties in vivo.
• C57BL/6 mice were fed a high-fat diet to induce obesity.
• The team found the mice that were pre-treated with ethanolic extract of C. okamurae had inhibited lipid accumulation. In addition, expression of the master regulator of adipogenesis, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma, sterol regulatory element binding protein-1c, and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein-? in 3T3-L1 adipocytes was considerably reduced.
• Mice treated with C. okamurae had a lower body fat and liver weight, compared to those in the control group.
• Researchers compared the effects of C. okamurae to that of Garcinia cambogia, which served as the positive control.
• C. okamurae-treated mice also had lower biomarkers for weight gain. These included free fatty acids, triglyceride, total cholesterol, glucose, and insulin in the plasma and free fatty acid, triglyceride, total cholesterol, and total liver lipid levels.
• In addition, C. okamurae-treated mice had reduced levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma, CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein-alpha, fatty acid synthase, sterol regulatory element binding protein-1c, cluster of differentiation 36, and acetyl-CoA synthetase.

The researchers concluded that C. okamurae has potential anti-obesity properties and can be used in therapies for the condition.

Journal Reference:

Sharma BR, Kim HJ, Kim MS, Park CM, Rhyu DY. CAULERPA OKAMURAE EXTRACT INHIBITS ADIPOGENESIS IN 3T3-L1 ADIPOCYTES AND PREVENTS HIGH-FAT DIET-INDUCED OBESITY IN C57BL/6 MICE. Nutrition Research. November 2017;47:44–52. DOI: 10.1016/j.nutres.2017.09.002