A carotenoid from green algae known as siphonaxanthin may have a role in future non-drug approaches for weight management. Zhuo-Si Li, from Kyoto University (Japan), and colleagues employed a cell study in which cells were incubated with a solution of siphonaxanthin, with results suggesting a dose-dependent effect on fat accumulation as well as the expression of genes associated with the formation of fat cells. The team also engaged a mouse model to ascertain that a daily 1.3 mg dose of siphonaxanthin for six weeks reduced white adipose tissue weight by 13%. The study authors submit that: “These results provide evidence that siphonaxanthin may effectively regulate adipogenesis.”
Zhuo-Si Li, Kenji Noda, Eriko Fujita, Yuki Manabe, Takashi Hirata, Tatsuya Sugawara. “The Green Algal Carotenoid Siphonaxanthin Inhibits Adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 Preadipocytes and the Accumulation of Lipids in White Adipose Tissue of KK-Ay Mice.” J. Nutr., March 2015; jn.114.200931.
