Abstract:Objective: To evaluated the regulatory effects of zeaxanthin on lipid and energy metabolism in obese mice. Methods: The obese mice were fed with or without zeaxanthin(40 and 20 mg/kg) for 4weeks, and the body weight, masses of total adipose and liver tissues were detected; Morphological status of liver was observed through HE staining, and the mRNA expression involved in lipid and energy metabolism of liver including CCAAT enhancer binding protein alpha (C/EBPα), Sterol-regulatory Element-binding Protein-1c(SREBP1-c), Acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), fatty acid translocase (CD36), peroxlsome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactlvator-1α (PGC-1α), uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) and Silence information regulator T1 (SIRT1) as well as AMPK signaling pathway were investigated. Results: Compared with the HFD group, zeaxanthin significantly decreased the body weight gain, liver mass, down-regulated the expression of C/EBPα, SREBP1-c, ACC, CD36 and up-regulated UCP1. What’s more, low dose of zeaxanthin treatment reversed the high-fat diet-induced inhibition of Adenosine 5’-monophosphate(AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) phosphorylation in hepatic tissue and alleviated fatty degeneration of liver. Conclusion: Zeaxanthin inhibited the hepatic lipid accumulation and improved the pathological state in high-fat diet induced obese mice by activated the AMPK pathway and down-regulated the expression of C/EBPα, SREBP1-c, ACC, CD36 and up-regulated UCP1 in liver.