{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,19]],"date-time":"2025-11-19T14:44:18Z","timestamp":1763563458252,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":40,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,3,5]],"date-time":"2024-03-05T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1709596800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"FCT\/MCTES, Funda\u00e7\u00e3o para a Ci\u00eancia e Tecnologia and Minist\u00e9rio da Ci\u00eancia, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior","award":["UIDB\/50006\/2020","UIDP\/5006\/2020","Ref. DL57\/2016\/CP1346\/CT0018","2022.04607.PTDC"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UIDB\/50006\/2020","UIDP\/5006\/2020","Ref. DL57\/2016\/CP1346\/CT0018","2022.04607.PTDC"]}]},{"name":"program DL 57\/2016\u2014Norma transit\u00f3ria","award":["UIDB\/50006\/2020","UIDP\/5006\/2020","Ref. DL57\/2016\/CP1346\/CT0018","2022.04607.PTDC"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UIDB\/50006\/2020","UIDP\/5006\/2020","Ref. DL57\/2016\/CP1346\/CT0018","2022.04607.PTDC"]}]},{"name":"InnO-Glyco project","award":["UIDB\/50006\/2020","UIDP\/5006\/2020","Ref. DL57\/2016\/CP1346\/CT0018","2022.04607.PTDC"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UIDB\/50006\/2020","UIDP\/5006\/2020","Ref. DL57\/2016\/CP1346\/CT0018","2022.04607.PTDC"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Marine Drugs"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The worldwide prevalence of obesity impacts more than 600 million adults. Successfully managing weight is effective in reducing the risk of chronic diseases, but sustaining long-term weight loss remains a challenge. Although there are supplements based on algae that claim to aid in weight loss, there is a notable scarcity of scientific evidence supporting their effectiveness, and their regular consumption safety remains inadequately addressed. In this work, commercially available Arthrospira (Spirulina) platensis Gomont and\/or Fucus vesiculosus L. supplements showed moderate capacity to inhibit the activity of carbohydrate-metabolizing enzymes, and to scavenge biologically relevant reactive species. IC25 values varying between 4.54 \u00b1 0.81 and 66.73 \u00b1 5.91 \u00b5g of dry extract\/mL and between 53.74 \u00b1 8.42 and 1737.96 \u00b1 98.26 \u00b5g of dry extract\/mL were obtained for \u03b1-glucosidase and aldose reductase, respectively. A weaker effect towards \u03b1-amylase activity was observed, with a maximum activity of the extracts not going beyond 33%, at the highest concentrations tested. Spirulina extracts showed generally better effects than those from F. vesiculosus. Similar results were observed concerning the antiradical capacity. In a general way, the extracts were able to intercept the in vitro-generated reactive species nitric oxide (\u2022NO) and superoxide anion (O2\u2022\u2212) radicals, with better results for O2\u2022\u2212scavenging with the spirulina samples (IC25 values of 67.16 and 122.84 \u00b5g of dry extract\/mL). Chemically, similar pigment profiles were observed between spirulina supplements and the authenticated counterpart. However, fucoxanthin, the chemotaxonomic marker of brown seaweeds, was not found in F. vesiculosus samples, pointing to the occurrence of a degradation phenomenon before, during, or after raw material processing. Our findings can contribute to providing data to allow regulatory entities (e.g., EFSA and FDA) to better rule these products in a way that can benefit society.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/md22030123","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,3,5]],"date-time":"2024-03-05T05:31:19Z","timestamp":1709616679000},"page":"123","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Algae-Based Supplements Claiming Weight Loss Properties: Authenticity Control and Scientific-Based Evidence on Their Effectiveness"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"22","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0898-0512","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"F\u00e1tima","family":"Fernandes","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"REQUIMTE\/LAQV, Laborat\u00f3rio de Farmacognosia, Departamento de Qu\u00edmica, Faculdade de Farm\u00e1cia, Universidade do Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira n.\u00ba 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0003-2608-4601","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Raquel","family":"Martins","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"REQUIMTE\/LAQV, Laborat\u00f3rio de Farmacognosia, Departamento de Qu\u00edmica, Faculdade de Farm\u00e1cia, Universidade do Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira n.\u00ba 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Mariana","family":"Barbosa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Associate Laboratory i4HB\u2014Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0740-4396","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Patr\u00edcia","family":"Valent\u00e3o","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"REQUIMTE\/LAQV, Laborat\u00f3rio de Farmacognosia, Departamento de Qu\u00edmica, Faculdade de Farm\u00e1cia, Universidade do Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira n.\u00ba 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,3,5]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"203","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(23)01301-6","article-title":"Global, regional, and national burden of diabetes from 1990 to 2021, with projections of prevalence to 2050: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021","volume":"402","author":"Ong","year":"2023","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1116","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(22)02403-5","article-title":"Contemporary medical, device, and surgical therapies for obesity in adults","volume":"401","author":"Perdomo","year":"2023","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2127","DOI":"10.1038\/oby.2006.248","article-title":"Influence of metabolic syndrome on biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammation in obese adults","volume":"14","author":"Hoetzer","year":"2006","journal-title":"Obesity"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"439","DOI":"10.1038\/oby.2008.542","article-title":"Loss of total and visceral adipose tissue mass predicts decreases in oxidative stress after weight-loss surgery","volume":"17","author":"Hansen","year":"2009","journal-title":"Obesity"},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"79","DOI":"10.1016\/j.envsci.2021.09.003","article-title":"Selective world-building: Collaboration and regional specificities in the marine biodiversity field","volume":"126","author":"Tolochko","year":"2021","journal-title":"Environ. 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