Chapter 21
Carotenoids as Anti-obesity Supplements
Franck Tourniaire, Lourdes Mounien, and Jean-François Landrier
Abstract The aim of this review is to summarize the current knowledge regarding
the biological impact of carotenoids and their metabolites on obesity management.
The relationship between carotenoids and obesity management will be envisioned
in clinical studies. Adipose tissue is a key organ in obesity etiology and the main
storage site for carotenoids, thus we will first describe the carotenoids metabolism
in adipocyte and adipose tissue and present the effect of carotenoids on biological
processes that may be linked to obesity management in vitro and in preclinical studies.
Beside adipose tissue, it is also now well established that the brain is strongly involved
in obesity process, thus a part will be dedicated to the potential effect of carotenoids
on obesity management via their biological effects on the brain.
Keywords Adipocytes · Adipose tissue · Brain · Carotenoids · Obesity
21.1 Obesity, Comorbidities, Adipose Tissue, and Brain
Dysfunctions
Obesity and overweight are defined by the WHO as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health (WHO 2012). Such risk is mainly related
to several comorbidities strongly linked to obesity such as metabolic inflammation, insulin resistance, liver steatosis, hypertension, dyslipidemia, certain types of
cancers, depression, etc. The WHO considers that around 39% of adult population
were overweight, and about 13% of the world’s adult population were obese in 2016
(WHO 2012). This is considered as a huge burden in the near future not only for
western countries but also for low- and middle-income countries that begin to face
obesity and overweight epidemy.
F. Tourniaire · L. Mounien
Aix Marseille University, INSERM, INRA, C2VN, Marseille, France
J.-F. Landrier (B)
Aix Marseille University, INSERM, INRA, C2VN, 27 Boulevard Jean-Moulin, 13385 Marseille
Cedex 05, France
e-mail: jean-francois.landrier@univ-amu.fr
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
E. Jacob-Lopes et al. (eds.), Pigments from Microalgae Handbook,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-50971-2_21
541
Carotenoids as Anti-obesity Supplements
Franck Tourniaire, Lourdes Mounien, and Jean-François Landrier
Abstract The aim of this review is to summarize the current knowledge regarding
the biological impact of carotenoids and their metabolites on obesity management.
The relationship between carotenoids and obesity management will be envisioned
in clinical studies. Adipose tissue is a key organ in obesity etiology and the main
storage site for carotenoids, thus we will first describe the carotenoids metabolism
in adipocyte and adipose tissue and present the effect of carotenoids on biological
processes that may be linked to obesity management in vitro and in preclinical studies.
Beside adipose tissue, it is also now well established that the brain is strongly involved
in obesity process, thus a part will be dedicated to the potential effect of carotenoids
on obesity management via their biological effects on the brain.
Keywords Adipocytes · Adipose tissue · Brain · Carotenoids · Obesity
21.1 Obesity, Comorbidities, Adipose Tissue, and Brain
Dysfunctions
Obesity and overweight are defined by the WHO as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health (WHO 2012). Such risk is mainly related
to several comorbidities strongly linked to obesity such as metabolic inflammation, insulin resistance, liver steatosis, hypertension, dyslipidemia, certain types of
cancers, depression, etc. The WHO considers that around 39% of adult population
were overweight, and about 13% of the world’s adult population were obese in 2016
(WHO 2012). This is considered as a huge burden in the near future not only for
western countries but also for low- and middle-income countries that begin to face
obesity and overweight epidemy.
F. Tourniaire · L. Mounien
Aix Marseille University, INSERM, INRA, C2VN, Marseille, France
J.-F. Landrier (B)
Aix Marseille University, INSERM, INRA, C2VN, 27 Boulevard Jean-Moulin, 13385 Marseille
Cedex 05, France
e-mail: jean-francois.landrier@univ-amu.fr
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
E. Jacob-Lopes et al. (eds.), Pigments from Microalgae Handbook,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-50971-2_21
541