0 Glyconutrients

This work aims to explore the amelioration of fucoidan on adenine-induced hyperuricemia and hepatorental damage. Adenine-induced hyperuricemic mice were administered with fucoidan, allopurinol and vehicle control respectively to compare the effects of the drugs. Serum uric acid, urea nitrogen, hepatorenal functions, activities of hepatic adenosine deaminase (ADA), xanthine oxidase (XOD), renal urate transporter 1 (URAT1) and NF-κB p65 were assessed. As the serum uric acid, urea nitrogen, creatinine, glutamic oxalacetic transaminase (GOT), glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and malondialdehyde (MDA) data demonstrated, the adenine not only mediated hepatorenal function disorders, but also induced hyperuricemia in mice. Meanwhile, activities of hepatic ADA and XOD were markedly augmented by adenine, and the expression of URAT1 was promoted, which was conducive to the reabsorption of urate. However, exposure to fucoidan completely reversed those adenine-induced negative alternations in mice, and the activities of hepatic ADA and XOD were recovered to the normal level. It was obvious that hepatic and renal functions were protected by fucoidan treatment. The expression of URAT1 was returned to normal, resulting in an increase of renal urate excretion and consequent healing of adenine-induced hyperuricemia in mice. Expression and activation of NF-κB p65 was promoted in kidneys of adenine treated mice, but suppressed in kidneys of mice exposed to fucoidan from Laminaria japonica or allopurinol. In conclusion, the fucoidan is a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of hyperuricemia through dual regulatory roles on inhibition of hepatic metabolism and promotion of renal excretion of urate.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disease which contributes to memory loss and cognitive decline in the elderly. Fucoidan, extracted from brown algae, is a complex sulfated polysaccharide and potential bioactive compound. In this study, we investigated whether fucoidan protects PC12 cells from apoptosis induced by a combination of beta-amyloid 25–35 (Aβ25–35) and d-galactose (d-Gal), and improves learning and memory impairment in AD model mice. The results indicated that fucoidan could inhibit the release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria to cytosol and activation of caspases, and increase the expression of apoptosis inhibitor proteins (IAPs), including livin and X-linked IAP (XIAP) in PC12 cells damaged by Aβ25–35 and d-Gal-induction. Fucoidan reversed the decreased activity of acetylcholine (ACh) and choline acetyl transferase (ChAT), as well as the increased activity of acetylcholine esterase (AChE), in AD model mice induced by infusion of d-Gal. Furthermore, fucoidan improved antioxidant activity in vitro and in vivo by activation of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione (GSH). These results suggested that fucoidan could protect PC12 cells from apoptosis and ameliorate the learning and memory impairment in AD model mice, which appeared to be due to regulating the cholinergic system, reducing oxidative stress, and inhibiting the caspase-dependent apoptosis pathway.

Epoxy resins are ubiquitous in high-performance composite applications because of their excellent mechanical strength, thermal and chemical resistance, strong adhesion, and low shrinkage after curing. Bio-based epoxy resins derived from natural products such as carbohydrates offer tremendous potential for creating new polymeric materials. Sugars and their derivatives often offer great biodegradability and functionality such as the presence of multiple hydroxyl groups that impart highly cross-linked polymer networks. Moreover, their ring structures can afford polymers with high glass transition temperatures. To develop epoxy resins containing sustainably sourced feedstocks, we designed and synthesized trehalose- and β-cyclodextrin-based carboxylic acid hardeners for epoxy resins and examined the thermal, mechanical, and adhesive properties of the resulting materials. Trehalose and β-cyclodextrin were succinylated with excess succinic anhydride, and the resulting carboxylic acid hardeners formed homogeneous mixtures with trimethylolpropane triglycidyl ether (TTE) in different carboxyl–epoxide ratios. The cured resins were found to be thermally stable (Td5 > 300 °C) and display high Young’s moduli of up to 1.4 and 1.8 GPa with mechanical strengths of 47 and 64 MPa for the trehalose- and β-cyclodextrin-based epoxy resins, respectively. Preliminary adhesion tests showed that the cured resins exhibit excellent lap-shear strengths of 3600 and 2100 psi, respectively. The resins were also degradable into water-soluble components in both aqueous acidic and basic solutions but were relatively stable from hydrolysis in neutral aqueous conditions. These results imply that this novel class of hardeners are promising feedstocks for renewable high performance epoxy resins.

Background: Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs) are the major cause of axonal regeneration failure at the site of lesion in spinal cord injury (SCI). Inflammation is believed to stimulate the upregulation of CSPGs expression. Recent evidence showed that trehalose reduces the development of inflammation in SCI. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of trehalose on neurocan and Neural-Glial Antigen 2 (NG2) mRNA levels in SCI in rats. Methods: In this experimental study, male rats were divided into six groups (n=15). Sham (laminectomy), SCI (laminectomy and SCI), vehicle (laminectomy and SCI, treated with phosphate buffer saline), and T10, T100 and T1000 (laminectomy and SCI, treated with 10, 100 and 1000 mM trehalose). Five rats in each group were sacrificed at 1, 3 and 7 days post-injury to measure neurocan and NG2 mRNA levels in lesion. Statistical analysis was performed using Kruskal-Wallis methods followed by the Mann-Whitney test. Results: Findings indicated that SCI upregulated neurocan and NG2 mRNA levels at all times. No significant difference was observed in neurocan and NG2 gene transcripts between SCI and vehicle groups (p>0.05). However, 10 mM trehalose downregulated the mRNA level of both neurocan (0.76 and 0.65 fold) and NG2 (0.75 and 0.70 fold) at 3 and 7 days post-SCI compared to vehicle group (p p

The HT-29 human adenocarcinoma cell line has been used extensively in the study of colonic cell differentiation and colon cancer. We report here that substitution of glucose with trehalose (alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-alpha-D-glucopyranoside) depresses growth and promotes mucin-producing, goblet-like mat …

Several types of cancers share cellular and molecular behaviors. Although many chemotherapy drugs have been designed to weaken the defenses of cancer cells, these drugs may also have cytotoxic effects on healthy tissues. Fucoidan, a sulfated fucose-based polysaccharide from brown algae, has gained much attention as an antitumor drug owing to its anticancer effects against multiple cancer types. Among the anticancer mechanisms of fucoidan are cell cycle arrest, apoptosis evocation, and stimulation of cytotoxic natural killer cells and macrophages. Fucoidan also protects against toxicity associated with chemotherapeutic drugs and radiation-induced damage. The synergistic effect of fucoidan with existing anticancer drugs has prompted researchers to explore its therapeutic potential. This review compiles the mechanisms through which fucoidan slows tumor growth, kills cancer cells, and interacts with cancer chemotherapy drugs. The obstacles involved in developing fucoidan as an anticancer agent are also discussed in this review.

For a long time, fucoidan has been well known for its pharmacological activities, and recently low molecular weight fucoidan (LMF) has been used in food supplements and pharmaceutical products. In the present study, LMF was extracted from Laminaria japonica by enzyme hydrolysis. The toxicity of LMF in mouse and rat models was determined by many methods, such as total arsenic content, bacterial reverse mutation assay, chromosome aberration assay, and in vivo micronucleus assay. The present findings showed that LMF at 5000 μg/mL exhibited no mutagenicity. It also produced no formatting disruption of red blood cells in vivo. At 2000 mg/kg BW/day there were no toxicological indications. LMF is expected to be used as a safe food supplement.

Aloe vera gel is a potential material as raw material industry, this is because a very complex composition. However Aloe vera gel is very easily oxidized or unstable. Viscosity gel and the benefit are decreased at room temperature after 24-36 hours. This research aims to obtain information about the resistance to oxidation via nitogren gas treatment and antioxidants, as well as the influence of phase changes in an attempt to retain the characteristics of the physicochemical Aloe vera gel over time. This Study can be described a conclusion that the best storage conditions are sound-proofed temperature conditions (4 ± 1)oc. Environmental conditioning by administering nitrogen gas storage and antioxidant Buthylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT) 750 ppm for 4 weeks defending the nature physicochemical Aloe vera gel. Freeze drying process of Aloe vera gel that has filled gum Arabic 3 % generates a more homogenous powder and smaller and more.

Several studies have indicated that fucoidan fractions with low molecular weight and different sulfate content from Laminaria japonica could inhibit the activation of platelets directly by reducing the platelet aggregation. To explore the direct effect of LMW fucoidan on the platelet system furthermore and examine the possible mechanism, the endothelial protection and inhibits platelet activation effects of two LMW fucoidan were investigated. In the present study, Endothelial injury model of rats was made by injection of adrenaline (0.4 mg kg−1) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells were cultured. vWF level was be investigated in vivo and in vitro as an important index of endothelial injury. LMW fucoidan could significantly reduce vWF level in vascular endothelial injury rats and also significantly reduce vWF level in vitro. The number of EMPs was be detected as another important index of endothelial injury. The results showed that LMW fucoidan reduced EMPs stimulated by tumor necrosis factor. In this study, it was found that by inhibiting platelet adhesion, LMW fucoidan played a role in anti-thrombosis and the specific mechanism of action is to inhibit the flow of extracellular Ca2+. All in a word, LMW fucoidan could inhibit the activation of platelets indirectly by reducing the concentration of EMPs and vWF, at the same time; LMW fucoidan inhibited the activation of platelets directly by inhibiting the flow of extracellular Ca2+.

In this study, fucoidans with different molecular weight that were isolated from the brown alga Undaria pinnatifida (Phaeophyceae, Laminariales) were investigated for their ability to inhibit melanogenesis and scavenge superoxide and hydroxyl radicals. Fucoidan samples with low molecular weights of 89, 35, 17, and 6 kDa were prepared by radiation-degradation of a 378 kDa fucoidan isolated from U. pinnatifida. The inhibitory activity of fucoidan against melanin biosynthesis in B16BL6 melanoma cells was enhanced for low molecular weight samples. To investigate the increase in melanogenesis inhibition exhibited by the low molecular weight fucoidan, tyrosinase inhibition activity and radical scavenging activities were measured. There was an increase in the tyrosinase inhibition activity for low molecular weight samples. Additionally, the radical scavenging activity was increased for lower molecular weight fucoidans. These results suggest that low molecular weight fucoidans from seaweeds may have beneficial biological properties.

In this study, fucoidans with different molecular weight that were isolated from the brown alga Undaria pinnatifida (Phaeophyceae, Laminariales) were investigated for their ability to inhibit melanogenesis and scavenge superoxide and hydroxyl radicals. Fucoidan samples with low molecular weights of 89, 35, 17, and 6 kDa were prepared by radiation-degradation of a 378 kDa fucoidan isolated from U. pinnatifida. The inhibitory activity of fucoidan against melanin biosynthesis in B16BL6 melanoma cells was enhanced for low molecular weight samples. To investigate the increase in melanogenesis inhibition exhibited by the low molecular weight fucoidan, tyrosinase inhibition activity and radical scavenging activities were measured. There was an increase in the tyrosinase inhibition activity for low molecular weight samples. Additionally, the radical scavenging activity was increased for lower molecular weight fucoidans. These results suggest that low molecular weight fucoidans from seaweeds may have beneficial biological properties.

The intestinal microecology is an extremely complex ecosystem consisting of gut microbiota, intestinal mucosa and the intestinal immune system. The intestinal microecology performs several important ...

The pretreatment of aqueous extract of Aloe vera leaf in rats proved to act as a potential antioxidant which could be implicated toward protection of the integrity of liver of rat against pesticide i...

Fucoidan-a marine natural active polysaccharide derived from brown algae with a variety of medicinal activities and low toxicity-has been used as clinical drug for renal diseases for nearly 20 years. The pharmacological mechanism of fucoidan has been well-investigated, based on target molecules and …

Background Trehalose is well known as a functional disaccharide with anti-metabolic activities such as suppression of adipocyte hypertrophy in mice and alleviation of impaired glucose tolerance in humans. Recently, a new type of adipocyte beige cells, involved in so-called white adipocyte tissue (WAT) browning, has received much attention as a target for adaptive thermogenesis. To clarify the relationship between adipocyte hypertrophy suppression and beige cells involved in thermogenesis, we examined the effect of trehalose on the changes in beige adipocytes in mice under normal dietary conditions. Methods Mice fed a normal diet were administered water containing 0.3% (W/V) trehalose for 16 weeks, 0.3% (W/V) maltose, or water without saccharide (controls). Body temperature and non-fasting blood glucose levels were measured every 3 weeks. After 16 weeks of these treatments, mesenteric and inguinal adipose tissues were collected for measuring adipocyte size, counting the number of UCP1 positive cells by image analysis, and preparing mRNA to analyze beige adipocyte-related gene expression. Results Mice administered a continuous intake of trehalose exhibited a thermogenic ability as represented by an increase in rectal temperature, which was maintained at a relatively high level from 3 to 9 weeks and was significantly higher at 15 weeks in comparison with that of the maltose group. In addition to the reduced hypertrophy of mesenteric and inguinal adipose tissues, the trehalose group showed a significant increase in the rates of beige adipocytes in each WAT in comparison with those of the maltose and the water groups. Interestingly, a negative correlation was found between the mean cell sizes of adipocytes and the rates of beige adipocytes in the WAT. Furthermore, real-time PCR showed that the expression of Cidea and Ucp1 mRNAs, which are markers for beige adipocytes in the inguinal adipose tissue, increased in the trehalose group. Conclusions Continuous administration of trehalose to mice fed a normal diet induced WAT browning accompanied by suppression of white adipocyte hypertrophy, elevated body temperature and decreased blood glucose levels, which resulted in enhancement of energy metabolism. Therefore, we propose trehalose as a new type of thermogenic dietary component to prevent obesity by promoting WAT browning.

Polymeric nanoparticles based on fucoidan and chitosan were developed to deliver quercetin as a novel functional food. Through the polyelectrolyte self-assembly method, fucoidan/chitosan (F/C) nanoparticles were obtained with three different weight ratios (1/1, 3/1, and 5/1). The content of quercetin in the fucoidan/chitosan nanoparticles was in the range 110 ± 3 to 335 ± 4 mg·mL−1, with the increase of weight ratio of fucoidan to chitosan in the nanoparticle. Physicochemically stable nanoparticles were obtained with a particle size within the 300–400 nm range and surface potential higher than +30 mV for the 1F/1C ratio nanoparticle and around −30 mV for the 3F/1C and 5F/1C ratios nanoparticles. The 1F/1C ratio nanoparticle became larger and more unstable as the pH increased from 2.5 to 7.4, while the 3F/1C and 5F/1C nanoparticles retained their initial characteristics. This result indicates that the latter nanoparticles were stable along the gastrointestinal tract. The quercetin-loaded fucoidan/chitosan nanoparticles showed strong antioxidant activity and controlled release under simulated gastrointestinal environments (in particular for the 3F/1C and 5F/1C ratios), preventing quercetin degradation and increasing its oral bioavailability.

Seaweeds have received huge interest in recent years given their promising potentialities. Their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, hypolipemic, and anticoagulant effects are among the most renowned and studied bioactivities so far, and these effects have been increasingly associated with their content and richness in both primary and secondary metabolites. Although primary metabolites have a pivotal importance such as their content in polysaccharides (fucoidans, agars, carragenans, ulvans, alginates, and laminarin), recent data have shown that the content in some secondary metabolites largely determines the effective bioactive potential of seaweeds. Among these secondary metabolites, phenolic compounds feature prominently. The present review provides the most remarkable insights into seaweed research, specifically addressing its chemical composition, phytopharmacology, and cosmetic applications.

Fucoidan is one of the dominant sulfated polysaccharide which was extracted from the brown seaweed Turbinaria decurrens. In the behavioral study mice …

Fucoidan is a marine polymer extracted from diverse types of brown algae. This polysaccharide showed great potential towards treatment of different ty…

Laminaria japonica (LJ) and Hizikia fusiforme (HF) are brown seaweeds known to have various health-promoting effects. In this study, we investigated the anti-diabetic effects and possible mechanism(s) of LJ and HF by using both in vitro and in vivo models. C2C12 myotubes, mouse-derived skeletal muscle cells, treated with LF or HF extracts were used for the in vitro model, and muscle tissues from C57BL/6N mice fed a high-fat diet supplemented with 5% LF or HF for 16 weeks were used for the in vivo model. Although both the LF and HF extracts significantly inhibited α-glucosidase activity in a dose-dependent manner, the HF extract had a superior α-glucosidase inhibition than the LF extract. In addition, glucose uptake was significantly increased by LJ- and HF-treated groups when compared to the control group. Phosphorylation of protein kinase B and AMP-activated protein kinase was induced by LJ and HF in both the vivo and in vitro skeletal muscle models. Furthermore, LJ and HF significantly decreased tumor necrosis factor-α whereas both extracts increased interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-10 production in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated C2C12 myotubes. Taken together, these findings imply that the brown seaweeds LJ and HF could be useful therapeutic agents to attenuate muscle insulin resistance due to diet-induced obesity and its associated inflammation.

Fucoidan extracted from brown algae has multiple beneficial functions. In this study, we investigated the effects of low-molecular-weight fucoidan (oligo-FO) on renal fibrosis under in vitro and in vivo diabetic conditions, and its molecular mechanisms. Advanced glycation product (AGE)-stimulated rat renal proximal tubular epithelial cells (NRK-52E) and diabetic mice induced by high-fat diet and intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin and nicotinamide were used. Oligo-FO treatment significantly inhibited anti-high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1)/RAGE/ anti-nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB)/transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1)/TGF-β1R/Smad 2/3/fibronectin signaling pathway and HIF-1α activation in AGE-stimulated NRK-52E cells. Conversely, the expression and activity of Sirt-1; the levels of ubiquitin-specific peptidase 22 (USP22), p-AMPK, glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R), and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1); and Nrf2 activation were remarkably increased by oligo-FO in AGE-stimulated cells. However, the above effects of oligo-FO were greatly diminished by inhibiting Sirt-1, HO-1, or GLP-1R activity. Similar changes of these pro-fibrotic genes in the kidney and a marked attenuation of renal injury and dysfunction were observed in oligo-FO-treated diabetic mice. These findings indicated that the inhibitory effects of the oligo-FO on diabetes-evoked renal fibrosis are mediated by suppressing TGF-β1-activated pro-fibrogenic processes via Sirt-1, HO-1, and GLP-1R dependence. Collectively, fucoidan-containing foods or supplements may be potential agents for ameliorating renal diseases due to excessive fibrosis.

The aim of this study was to determine whether low-molecular-weight fucoidan (LMWF) can reduce TGF-β-mediated pathogenesis of tubulointerstitial fibro…

SARS-CoV-2 is the pathogen agent of the new corona virus disease that appeared at the end of 2019 in China. There is, currently, no effective treatmen…