Effects of Water-Soluble Polysaccharides from Tott on Lipid Absorption and Animal Body Weight

We examined the anti-obesity effects of water-soluble polysaccharides (WSP-A) extracted from the seaweed Hijikia fusiforme (Tott in Korean). The extracted alginate-like polysaccharide (verified by FT-IR and HPAEC-PAD analysis) was examined in a lipase inhibition assay and animal experiments. WSP-A inhibited lipase up to 30%, with over 80% of the initial activity retained until the 1 hour reaction in vitro. There was a 30% loss in the rate of weight gain in rats fed a high-fat diet. WSP-A therefore seems to serve as a healthy weight loss agent by inhibiting lipases, thus preventing the absorption of fat in the body.