Abstract

ANTIOBESITY ACTIVITY OF MARINE ALGAE TURBINARIA ORNATE

Alka* and Nidhi Tyagi

ABSTRACT

Currently obesity is a major threat to the health of people all over the world. Globally, there are more than 1 billion overweight adults, at least 300 million of them are obese. Obesity and overweight pose a major risk for chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and stroke and certain forms of cancer. The key causes are increased consumption of energy-dense foods high in saturated fats and sugars and reduced physical activity. This study concerned with the use of different extracts of Turbinaia ornate to prevent the development of obesity in rats. Turbinaria ornata was collected from Erwadi in gulf of Mannar, Tamil Nadu. Turbinaria ornata was shade dried at room temperature and reduced to a coarse powder. The algae was extracted with three solvents by cold maceration with increasing polarity in order of cyclohexane, ethyl acetate and methanol. Obesity was induced by feeding them with high fat diet. Thirty Wistar rats were divided into six groups. Group1 treated as control group, Group 2 Wistar rats fed with a High-fat diet for a period of 6 weeks, Group 3 were given atrovastatin 3 mg/kg/day orally for a period of 21 days along with High fat diet in rats for a period of 6 weeks. The animal of the Group 4 were given methanolic extract 400 mg/kg/day, orally for 6 weeks along with High fat diet in rat for a period of 6 weeks. In Group 5 cyclohexane extract were given at a dose 400 mg/kg/day orally for a period of 6 weeks, Group 6 methanolic extract were given at a dose 400 mg/kg/day orally for a period of 6 weeks after induction of obesity with High fat diet in rats for a period of 6 weeks. All the three extracts were found to be significant at p<0.001 and inhibit the antiobesity activity. The methanolic extract shows the highest antiobesity activity followed by the ethyl acetate and cyclohexane extracts against the atrovastatin as the standard which showed the highest antiobesity activity.

Keywords: Anti obesity, Seaweeds, Turbinaria ornata, Atrovastatin.