Effect of red edible seaweed Eucheuma denticulatum on diet-induced obesity in vivo

Eucheuma denticulatum is a red edible seaweed found in the east coast of Malaysia. This seaweed has shown to promote potential health benefits. The present work aimed to assess the anti-obesity effect of E. denticulatum freeze-dried powder supplemented with high-fat diet (HFD) on an in vivo model. Male Sprague Dawley rats aged 6–7 weeks (weighing 200-250 g) were divided into six groups ( n = 6 per group) according to the following diet: normal diet group (CTR), high-fat diet group (HFD), HFD with orlistat (50 mg kg −1 ) (HFD + OR), HFD with 10% E. denticulatum (HFD-10), HFD with 15% E. denticulatum (HFD-15), and HFD with 20% E. denticulatum (HFD-20). Each group was fed for 7 weeks ad libitum, and food intake was monitored. At the end of the nutritional period, the rats were sacrificed. Blood was collected for determination of biochemical parameters and obesity biomarkers while tissue samples for histological analysis. Acute oral toxicity was employed to assess E. denticulatum for possible toxicity. Eucheuma denticulatum -fed rats significantly ( p