The modulation of pancreatic lipase activity by alginates

Matthew D. Wilcox*, Iain A. Brownlee, J. Craig Richardson, Peter W. Dettmar, Jeffrey P. Pearson

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

91 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Alginates are comprised of mannuronic (M) and guluronic acid (G) and have been shown to inhibit enzyme activity. Pancreatic lipase is important in dietary triacylglycerol breakdown; reducing pancreatic lipase activity would reduce triacylglycerol breakdown resulting in lower amounts being absorbed by the body. Lipase activity in the presence of biopolymers was assessed by enzymatic assay using natural and synthetic substrates. Alginate inhibited pancreatic lipase by a maximum of 72.2% (±4.1) with synthetic substrate (DGGR) and 58.0% (±9.7) with natural substrate. High-G alginates from Laminaria hyperborea seaweed inhibited pancreatic lipase to a significantly higher degree than High-M alginates from Lessonia nigrescens, showing that inhibition was related to alginate structure. High-G alginates are effective inhibitors of pancreatic lipase and are used in the food industry at low levels. They could be included at higher levels in foods without altering organoleptic qualities, potentially reduce the uptake of dietary triacylglycerol aiding in weight management.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)479-484
Number of pages6
JournalFood Chemistry
Volume146
Early online date20 Sept 2013
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Mar 2014
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Alginate
  • Inhibition
  • Lipase
  • Obesity
  • Weight management

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