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. 2022 Nov 9;23(22):13811.
doi: 10.3390/ijms232213811.

Freshwater Macroalgae, Oedogonium, Grown in Wastewater Reduce Diet-Induced Metabolic Syndrome in Rats

Sunil K Panchal  1   2 , Naga K R Ghattamaneni  1 , Marie Magnusson  3   4 , Andrew Cole  4 , David Roberts  4 , Nicolas Neveux  4   5 , Lindsay Brown  1   6 , Nicholas A Paul  7
Affiliations

Freshwater Macroalgae, Oedogonium, Grown in Wastewater Reduce Diet-Induced Metabolic Syndrome in Rats

Sunil K Panchal et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

Macroalgae produce compounds with industrial, pharmaceutical and nutritional applications. In this study, biomass from the freshwater macroalgal genus Oedogonium was grown in either treated municipal wastewater (M) or ash dam water from a coal-fired power station (D). The biomass was investigated for its metabolic responses in high-carbohydrate, high-fat diet-fed rats, a model of human metabolic syndrome. The Oedogonium biomass cultured in M contained higher amounts of K, Mg, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), insoluble fibre and β-carotene, while biomass grown in D contained higher amounts of Al, Fe, V, Zn, Mn and As. Biomass from M further increased body weight and inflammation in the heart and colon in high-carbohydrate, high-fat diet-fed rats. In contrast, biomass from D prevented changes in metabolic, cardiovascular and liver parameters without changing tissue histology. We suggest that increased intake of metals and metalloids through macroalgal biomass from D may decrease abdominal fat deposition while polysaccharides, PUFA and carotenoids from M may improve blood glucose responses in an obesogenic diet. Thus, macroalgal biomass grown in different wastewater sources could be acceptable for feed or food applications. This biomass could even provide potential health benefits in diet-induced metabolic syndrome.

Keywords: biomass; freshwater; high-carbohydrate, high-fat diet; macroalgae; metabolic syndrome; rat model.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study, in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data, in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Effects of Oedogonium grown in ash dam water and treated municipal wastewater on (A) body weight, (B) whole-body fat and lean mass, (C) total abdominal fat pads, (D) blood glucose AUC during glucose tolerance test, (E) plasma lipid profile and (F) systolic blood pressure. Values are presented as means ± SEM (n = 8 rats per group). Means without a common letter are significantly different (a, b or c; p < 0.05). C, corn starch diet-fed rats; H, high-carbohydrate, high-fat diet-fed rats; HD, high-carbohydrate, high-fat diet-fed rats supplemented with Oedogonium grown in ash dam water; HM, high-carbohydrate, high-fat diet-fed rats supplemented with Oedogonium grown in treated municipal wastewater; AUC, area under the curve; NEFA, non-esterified fatty acids.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Effects of Oedogonium grown in ash dam water and treated municipal wastewater on inflammation and fibrosis in the heart, colon and ileum structure of rats (n = 4 rats per group). Hematoxylin and eosin staining of the liver showing inflammatory cells (in, arrow head) and fat vacuoles (fv, arrow head) in C (A,E); H (B,F); HD (C,G) and HM (D,H) rats. Hematoxylin and eosin staining and picrosirius red staining of the left ventricle showing inflammatory cells (in, arrow head) and fibrosis (fi, arrow head), respectively, in C (I,M), H (J,N), HD (K,O) and HM (L,P) rats. Hematoxylin and eosin staining of the colon and ileum showing inflammatory cells in C (Q,U), H (R,V), HD (S,W) and HM (T,X) rats. Scale bar, 100 μm. C, corn starch diet-fed rats; H, high-carbohydrate, high-fat diet-fed rats; HD, high-carbohydrate, high-fat diet-fed rats supplemented with Oedogonium grown in ash dam water; and HM, high-carbohydrate, high-fat diet-fed rats supplemented with Oedogonium grown in treated municipal wastewater.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Study design to characterise responses to Oedogonium biomass in rats with diet-induced metabolic syndrome.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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