Potential Usefulness of a Wakame/Carob Functional Snack for the Treatment of Several Aspects of Metabolic Syndrome: From In Vitro to In Vivo Studies

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) greatly increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes mellitus. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of functional snacks containing a combination of wakame (W) and carob pod (CP) flours in reducing markers associated with MetS. The mechanisms of action underlying these effects were also evaluated. In vitro approaches were carried out in mature 3T3-L1 adipocytes and RAW 264.7 macrophages treated with different doses of extracts from W, CP, or a combination of both. Furthermore, an in vivo experiment was conducted in rats with MetS treated with normal-caloric diets containing different snack formulations with combinations of 1/50 (snack A) or 1/5 of wakame/carob (snack B). In vitro experiments results indicated that both W and CP had delipidating effects, but only the latter induced anti-inflammatory and anti-hypertensive effects. As far as the in vivo study is concerned, snack B was ineffective and snack A showed an anti-hypertensive effect in rats with MetS. The present study shows for the first time the in vitro efficacy of a W and CP combination as an anti-inflammatory, delipidating, and anti-hypertensive tool, and its potential usefulness in treating MetS.