Zeaxanthin and fat storage in lab cells and mice
What it found
Zeaxanthin reduced fat buildup in lab-grown fat cells and slowed weight gain in mice fed a high-fat diet.
It worked by switching on an enzyme that controls how the body uses energy.
What they found
Animal and lab studies
Less fat in cells
In lab-grown fat cells, zeaxanthin lowered the amount of stored fat. Higher doses between 5 and 15 μM worked better, without harming the cells.
Slower weight gain in mice
Mice fed a high-fat diet gained less weight when given zeaxanthin by mouth. Their blood fat levels also improved compared to untreated mice.
Fat genes switched off
Zeaxanthin turned down genes that tell cells to store fat. This happened in both the lab cells and the living mice.
Energy enzyme switched on
The treatment reactivated an enzyme called AMPK that helps control energy use. This enzyme had been blocked by the high-fat diet and by chemicals used in the lab tests.
What the authors conclude
- They conclude that zeaxanthin fights fat buildup by turning on the AMPK enzyme and slowing fat production.
- Their results show it shrinks fat cells and lowers overall fat tissue weight in mice.
How it was done
Zeaxanthin is known to slow down fat production, but scientists did not fully understand how it works. They wanted to find out the exact steps behind this effect.
They tested zeaxanthin on lab-grown mouse fat cells at doses from 5 to 15 μM. They also gave 20 mg kg-1 of zeaxanthin by mouth to mice made obese by a high-fat diet.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- These tests used lab-grown mouse cells and mice, so they cannot show what happens in people eating zeaxanthin.
- A study in animals can suggest effects, but human trials are needed to confirm them.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Jilin Agricultural University, China
The paper
- Title
- Anti-obesity effects of zeaxanthin on 3T3-L1 preadipocyte and high fat induced obese mice
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Animals and lab studies
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Liu M, Liu H, Xie J, et al (2017). Anti-obesity effects of zeaxanthin on 3T3-L1 preadipocyte and high fat induced obese mice. Food & function. doi:10.1039/c7fo00486aPubMed 28848960DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error