Marine Nutraceuticals: A Potential Source for the Management of Obesity

Due to metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, obesity is a serious problem that threatens human health on a global scale. One possibility for the treatment and management of obesity is therapeutic intervention using weight loss medications, along with diet and exercise. However, orlistat, a synthetic pancreatic lipase inhibitor, is the only approved anti-obesity medication currently on the market. While several anti-obesity medications have been discontinued due to severe side effects, other antiobesity medications are still under investigation at various levels of clinical studies. Therefore, new anti-obesity medications are needed, especially those derived from biological sources. Seaweeds, in particular, are a promising source of marine algae with anti-obesity properties. Fucoxanthin, alginates, fucoidans, and phlorotannins are the four main bioactive substances found in seaweeds that have the potential to be used as anti-obesity treatments. Fucoxanthin and fucoidans, which impact satiety among other things, alginates, and the prevention of adipocyte development are just a few ways 380these substances exhibit anti-obesity properties (e.g., fucoxanthin). Before any novel anti-obesity medications based on algal products can be developed, more research is needed, particularly testing bioactive chemicals in extensive human trials.