Persian Gulf brown seaweed extracts showing anti-obesity potency on adipogenic differentiation in human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells and obese male rats.

The objectives of this study were to compare the effects of two Persian Gulf marine algae, Padina pavonica (Pp) and Sargassum angustifolium (Sa), on both in vitro and in vivo models. Hot water and Ethanolic extracts of Pp (HWE.Pp, EE.Pp) and Sa (HWE.Sa, EE.Sa) were added to human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hADMSCs) cultures treated with adipogenic medium. An in vivo study was done by feeding the extracts to the high-fat diet (HFD) male Wistar rats. A decrease in adipocyte differentiation, and an increase in leptin production and energy loss as indicated by UCP1 and UCP3 upregulation and intracellular glucose content were detected. Weight loss, food intake reduction, downregulation of the PPARγ, and upregulation of UCP1, UCP3, FNDC5, and leptin were observed in the animals were fed with both algae compared to untreated obese and normal rats. Both extracts with superiority of Sa also normalized the level of blood sugar, cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), as well as inflammatory factors and liver enzymes. HW-Sa was the best extract to normalize all the criteria. Sa can be considered as a good remedy for losing weight by inhibiting adipocyte differentiation, and inflammation, increasing energy loss, and decreasing food intake through leptin elevation.