EFFECT OF FUCOXANTHIN SUPPLEMENTED YOGURT ON WEIGHT LOSS IN OVERWEIGHT AND OBESE ADULTS

Nutrition plays a significant role in the quality of life as foods have been linked to health and wellness, as well as in the control of obesity. Obesity is associated with some of America's most costly and serious health problems such as type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and certain types of cancers (Wan-Loy and Siew-Moi, 2016; Amri and Scheideler, 2017). According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) of 2017-2018, the percentage of obesity for men and women in US adults (aged 20 and over) is 43.0 and 41.9, respectively. The prevalence of obesity among male and female adults in the US is roughly the same and is at an alarming rate according to this survey (Fryar et al., 2020). The medical and economic burden of obesity-related diseases in society amounts to billions of dollars annually. Hence, developing effective preventive measures to reduce obesity and the medical costs of diseases related to it is essential. Nutrition can play a major role in reducing these lifestyle-related diseases and it is highly desirable to find safe and effective bio-functional ingredients in food to mitigate these health-related issues through diet (Kuipers et al., 2011).Since obesity continues to be an important target for effective preventive therapies of several diseases, and to ease the medical and economic burden of these obesity-related diseases in the developed world (Shao et al., 2017), this research proposal will assess the potential anti-obesity effect of fucoxanthin, a fat-soluble antioxidant carotenoid, in goat milk yogurt. This proposal examines the formulation and effects of an anti-obesity bioactive ingredient in goat milk yogurt that will support a healthier serving of dairy food to the general population.Texas is one of the largest goat-producing states and is the home to the International Goat Research Center at Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU). The center was developed through legislative efforts and is mandated to build the goat research program and identify the needs of the clientele in this state. Dairy goat numbers have increased in the southern region of the U.S. because this area with large grazing lands is more suitable for goat rearing. Additionally, this area has the greatest demand for goat products due to the growth in population diversity and differences in their cultural heritage (Marsh, 2021).For small and limited-resource farmers dairy goat production is a viable alternative to dairy cattle rearing, which requires more capital investment. To serve the limited resourceproducers, some 1890 schools have performed research that encourages dairy goat production as an alternative animal production system. Prairie View A&M University (Historically Black College and University) is one of the 1890 Universities that has developed a dairy goat research program with excellent expertise in all aspects of dairy goat management, breeding, physiology, and nutrition. With this priority in mind, the Food System Group of the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) at PVAMU proposes to develop and evaluate a value-added goat milk yogurt that will have an anti-obesity ingredient and promote healthy lifestyles in the society.Objectives: The objective of this project is to evaluate the anti-obesity effect of fucoxanthin as a bio-functional ingredient, when supplemented into goat milk yogurt, on weight loss and other body parameters in overweight and obese human subjects. Thus, this study will be conducted to elucidate the effects of fucoxanthin supplemented goat yogurt on anthropometric indices (weight, total body fat, subcutaneous fat, body mass index [BMI], waist circumference [WC], and hip circumference [HC]), on overweight and obese human subjects over a 12-week period compared to a control group receiving yogurt without fucoxanthin. Successful implementation of this project will support the USDA-NIFA Program priority area of Diet, Nutrition, and the Prevention of Chronic Diseases.