The antihyperlipidemic effect of alginate-free residue from sea tangle in hyperlipidemic rats

Abstract Background In order to assess the high value-added use of the alginate-free residue of sea tangle, an animal study was performed to evaluate the functional activities and key compounds present. In the animal study, sea tangle and the alginate-free residue demonstrated good anti-hyperlipidemic and anti-arteriosclerotic abilities. Results The functional compounds in the alginate-free residue of the sea tangle were effectively extracted by supercritical fluid extraction (SFE). The optimum extraction temperature and pressure were 40 °C and 6500 psi (M1) in the SFE, a better method in comparison to the conditions of 70 °C and 4500 psi (M2), respectively. The anti-atherosclerotic effects of the alginate-free residue of sea tangle (M1, M2) were investigated in Sprague-Dawley rats treated with poloxamer 407, Triton WR 1339, corn oil, and a high-fat diet. The M1 fraction reduced the serum lipid levels with greater efficacy than the M2 fraction. In the hyperlipidemic rats, treatment with M1 decreased the serum triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) levels when compared to the levels in normal rats. Conclusion Our results demonstrated that the alginate-free residue of sea tangle reduces serum TC, TG, and LDL-C. These results suggest that the alginate-free residue of sea tangle contains physiologically active components, such as fucosterol, that may exert beneficial effects in the prevention of atherosclerosis.