Fucoxanthin
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| General | ||||||||||||||||
| Surname | Fucoxanthin | |||||||||||||||
| Molecular formula | C 42 H 58 O 6 | |||||||||||||||
| Brief description |
brown powder |
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| properties | ||||||||||||||||
| Molar mass | 658.91 g mol −1 | |||||||||||||||
| Physical state |
firmly |
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| Melting point |
168 ° C |
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| As far as possible and customary, SI units are used. Unless otherwise noted, the data given apply to standard conditions . | ||||||||||||||||
Fucoxanthin belongs to the group of xanthophylls and is present in addition to chlorophyll as a dye in the chloroplasts of brown algae , which allows them to photosynthesize more efficiently , since fucoxanthin mainly absorbs the greenish part of the light spectrum (with a maximum at around 510-525 nm ) Chlorophyll reflects unused. Fucoxanthin is also found in sea sponges , snails and bird feathers.
Applications
In 2006, the press reported the connection after a Japanese research group from Hokkaidō University headed by Kazuo Miyashita announced the results of a study on more than 200 rats and mice. When the compound was taken in its pure form, this showed a fat reduction of up to 10% in the animals, which fueled speculation about the use of the compound against obesity. According to the study, the effect is based on two different mechanisms of action. In obese animals, the substance stimulates protein expression of thermogenin (UCP1 from uncoupling protein one ). The gene for UCP1 is important for regulating the consumption of energy from food and the conversion of energy from chemical energy. When activated, excess energy is radiated in the form of heat and is not converted into chemical energy. The second effect of the substance is its ability to support the production of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in the liver.
Since brown algae ( Undaria pinnatifida ) are one of the most important ingredients in Japanese miso soup and the coloring agent is found in them, speculation has continued about their weight-reducing effect. The researchers contradicted this assumption, however, because fucoxanthin is bound to proteins in seaweed and therefore cannot be easily absorbed. Since nothing was known about the dosage and side effects of the substance in its pure form when used in humans and a reduction of up to 10% in the fat content does not mean a solution for obesity , doctors expressed skepticism about the drug. A double-blind human study has now been published.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Data sheet fucoxanthin from Sigma-Aldrich , accessed on April 20, 2011 ( PDF ).
- ↑ a b entry on fucoxanthin. In: Römpp Online . Georg Thieme Verlag, accessed on April 19, 2014.
- ↑ H Maeda, M Hosokawa, T Sashima, K Funayama, K Miyashita: Fucoxanthin from edible seaweed, Undaria pinnatifida, shows antiobesity effect through UCP1 expression in white adipose tissues . In: Biochem. Biophys. Res. Com. . 332, No. 2, 2005, pp. 392-397. doi : 10.1016 / j.bbrc.2005.05.002 . PMID 15896707 .
- ↑ Journal Med: Seagrass Ingredient Fucoxanthin Reduces Obesity in Rats , September 15, 2006.
- ↑ M. Abidov, Z. Ramazanov, R. Seifulla, S. Grachev: The effects of Xanthigen in the weight management of obese premenopausal women with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and normal liver fat . In: Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism . 12, 2010, p. 72. doi : 10.1111 / j.1463-1326.2009.01132.x .