Obesity is defined as a condition of excessive fat tissue accumulation. It was the major factor most closely associated with lifestyle-related diseases. In the present study, we investigated the effect of astaxanthin on the inhibition of lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. 3T3-L1 adipocytes were treated with 0-25 mu g/mL of astaxanthin for 0-48 h. The result indicated that astaxanthin significantly decreased the oil Red O stained material (OROSM), intracellular triglyceride accumulation, and glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH) activity in 3T3-L1 adipocytes (p< 0.05). At the molecular level, astaxanthin significantly down-regulated the mRNA expression ofperoxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma(PPAR gamma) in 3T3-L1 adipocytes (p< 0.05). Moreover, target genes ofPPAR gamma on the inhibition of lipogenesis, such asAcetyl-CoA carboxylase(ACC),fatty acid synthase(FAS),fatty acid binding protein(aP2),cluster of differentiation 36(CD36), andlipoprotein lipase(LPL) in 3T3-L1 adipocytes were significantly down-regulated at a time-dependent manner (p< 0.05). These results suggested that astaxanthin efficiently suppressed lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and its action is associated with the down-regulation of lipogenesis-related genes and the triglyceride accumulation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Therefore, astaxanthin can be developed as a potential nutraceutical ingredient for the prevention of obesity in a niche market.
