Enzymatic Production and Adipocyte Differentiation Inhibition of Low-Molecular-Weight-Alginate

In this study, we investigated the extraction condition of alginate from Laminaria japonica, the enzy- matic degradation of the extracted alginate, and the inhibitory activity of the degraded alginate on the differentiation of 3T3-L1 pr eadipocytes. The optimal condit ions for the efficient extraction, precip- itation, and recovery of alginate from the brown seaweed L. japonica were 1% for Na 2CO3 concen- tration, 80℃ for extraction temperature, and ethanol for precipitation solve nt. In the enzymatic re- action for the production of low-molecular-weight alginate (LMWA) by using alginate lyase from Flavobacterium sp., the initial concentration of Laminaria alginate was 3%. The low-molecular-weight degree from alginate was independent with the enzyme concentrat ion, and the optimal concentration of alginate lyase was found to be 5 unit/ml. Through the enzymatic reaction with 5 unit/ml of algi- nate lyase at 37℃ for 3 hr, the viscosity and molecular weight of LMWA were 4.5 cp and 307 kDa, respectively. Treatment with LMWA significantly suppressed the accumulation of lipid droplet and triglyceride in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes with a dose-dependent manner. Therefore, it seems that LMWA treatment could inhibit the differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. These results indicate that LMWA or the degraded alginate produced by alginate lyase enzyme can be useful for the development of anti-obesity biosubstances.