Fucoidan is a sulfated polysaccharide widely distributed in brown seaweed. It exhibits several bioactivities, such as anti-cancer, anti-tumor, anti-microbial, anti-diabetic and anti-oxidant properties. However, the effects of fucoidan in chondrocytes are not well established. Previously, we have reported in vitro and in vivo anti-inflammatory effects of fucoidan. In this study, we evaluated the effects and regulatory mechanism of fucoidan derived from Undaria pinnatifida on the cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and type II collagen in rabbit articular chondrocytes. Using western blotting and alcian blue staining, respectively, fucoidan was shown to induce type II collagen and sulfated proteoglycan in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Moreover, fucoidan inhibited the COX-2 expression in a dose- and time-dependent manner and increased the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), p38, and AKT kinases in chondrocytes. The inhibition of p38 and AKT using SB203580 and LY294002, respectively, in the presence of fucoidan decreased the expression of type II collagen. However, ERK inhibition using PD98050 stimulated type II collagen expression. Fucoidan increased COX-2 expression in the presence of inhibitors of ERK, p38, and AKT kinases. These results conclusively suggested that fucoidan regulated type II collagen expression via the p38 and AKT pathways, and COX-2 expression via the p38, ERK and AKT pathways in rabbit articular chondrocytes. Moreover, given its ability to mediate cell differentiation and exert anti-inflammatory activity, fucoidan may represent a potential therapeutic substance for use in inflammatory conditions, including arthritis.

The use of fucoidan, a marine-origin bioactive polymer, is herein proposed as a component of an innovative and effective strategy against melanoma, one of the most aggressive skin cancers. First, fucoidan antitumor activity, in its soluble form, was assessed presenting increased cytotoxicity over melanoma cells when compared to human dermal fibroblasts and keratinocytes. After this antitumor activity validation and trying to develop a more targeted and local strategy aiming to diminish the cytotoxic effects over noncancer cells, fucoidan was immobilized at the surface of an electrospun nanofiber mesh (NFM_Fu), envisioning the development of a therapeutic patch. The maximum immobilization concentration was 1.2 mg mL–1, determined by the Toluidine Blue Assay and confirmed by XPS. Furthermore, NFM_Fu is more hydrophilic than NFM, presenting a contact angle of 36°, lower than the 121° of the control condition. NFM_Fu was able to reduce human melanoma cell viability by 50% without affecting human dermal fibroblasts and keratinocytes. Taken together, these results set the basis for a valuable approach for melanoma treatment.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular and peripheral vascular disease. Although mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-bas…

Hyperlipidemia is associated with increased risk of the development of cardiovascular diseases. Although a great deal of attention has been paid to th…

Objective: This study was designed to compare the effect of Aloe vera gel with aspirin and celecoxib on platelet aggregation. Study Design: Comparative Study. Setting: Post graduate Medical Institute Lahore, Children Hospital, Lahore. Period: September 2015 to September 2016. Material & Methods: Blood was withdrawn from anti-cubital vein, complete blood count was checked, platelet rich plasma was prepared by centrifuging citrated whole blood and then incubated with  Aloe vera low (AVL), Aloe vera high (AVH), aspirin and celecoxib for 30 minutes at 37C. After adding the agonist arachidonic acid, reading was then taken for 3 minutes and percentage aggregation was recorded. Results: Platelet aggregation with aspirin, AVH and AVL was statistically significantly lower as compared to control and celecoxib groups. Conclusion: This study has demonstrateda dose dependentanti-platelet effect of Aloe vera gel which is comparable to aspirin.

Gefitinib is a first tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) designed with an EGFR tyrosine kinase for lung cancer targeted therapy. However, some lung cancer…

Background Cancer metastasis is the main cause leading to disease recurrence and high mortality in cancer patients. Therefore, inhibiting metastasis process or killing metastatic cancer cells by inducing apoptosis is of clinical importance in improving cancer patient survival. Previous studies revealed that fucoidan, a fucose-rich polysaccharide isolated from marine brown alga, is a promising natural product with significant anti-cancer activity. However, little is known about the role of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in fucoidan-induced cell apoptosis. Principal Findings We reported that fucoidan treatment inhibits cell growth and induces apoptosis in cancer cells. Fucoidan treatments resulted in down-regulation of the glucose regulated protein 78 (GRP78) in the metastatic MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells, and of the ER protein 29 (ERp29) in the metastatic HCT116 colon cancer cells. However, fucoidan treatment promoted ER Ca2+-dependent calmodulin-dependent kinase II (CaMKII) phosphorylation, Bcl-associated X protein (Bax) and caspase 12 expression in MDA-MB-231 cells, but not in HCT116 cells. In both types of cancer cells, fucoidan activated the phosphorylation of eukaryotic initiation factor 2 alpha (p-eIF2α)\CCAAT/enhancer binding protein homologous protein (CHOP) pro-apoptotic cascade and inhibited the phosphorylation of inositol-requiring kinase 1 (p-IRE-1)\X-box binding proteins 1 splicing (XBP-1s) pro-survival cascade. Furthermore, CHOP knockdown prevented DNA damage and cell death induced by fucoidan. Conclusion/Significance Fucoidan exerts its anti-tumor function by modulating ER stress cascades. Contribution of ER stress to the fucoidan-induced cell apoptosis augments our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying its anti-tumour activity and provides evidence for the therapeutic application of fucoidan in cancer.

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(2016). Fucoidan Induces Cell Aggregation and Apoptosis in Osteosarcoma MG-63 Cells. Animal Cells and Systems: Vol. 20, No. 4, pp. 186-192.

Blood Coagulation & Fibrinolysis is an international fully refereed journal that features review and original research articles on all clinical, laboratory and experimental aspects of haemostasis and thrombosis. The journal is devoted to publishing significant developments worldwide in the field of blood coagulation, fibrinolysis, thrombosis, platelets and the kininogen-kinin system, as well as dealing with those aspects of blood rheology relevant to haemostasis and the effects of drugs on haemostatic components.

Fucoidan, a sulphated polysaccharide, plays a vital role in reducing cellular oxidative damage by exerting potential antioxidant activity. However, be…

Fucoidan has been reported to exhibit various beneficial activities ranging from to antivirus and anticancer properties. However, little information is available about the effects of fucoidan on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI). Our study aimed to explore the effects of fucoidan on cerebra …

Preclinical Research Fucoidan, a sulfated polysaccharide, is a compound found in various species of seaweed that has anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immuno...

Estrogen deficiencies associated with menopause accelerate spontaneous skin aging and stimulate the ultraviolet (UV) irradiation-induced photoaging of skin. However, food compositions with the potent...

Fucoidan, a sulfated polysaccharide extracted from brown algae, exhibits anti-cancer activity. However, the effects and mechanism of fucoidan-induced apoptosis via endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that fucoidan prevents tumorigenesis and reduces tumor size in LLC1-xenograft male C57BL/6 mice. Fucoidan induces an ER stress response by activating the PERK-ATF4-CHOP pathway, resulting in apoptotic cell death in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, ATF4 knockdown abolishes fucoidan-induced CHOP expression and rescues cell viability. Specifically, fucoidan increases intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), which increase ATF4 and CHOP in lung cancer cells. Using the ROS scavenger N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC), we found that ROS generation is involved in fucoidan-induced ER stress-mediated apoptosis. Moreover, via Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) knockdown, we demonstrated that fucoidan-induced ROS and CHOP expression were attenuated. Our study is the first to identify a novel mechanism for the antitumor activity of fucoidan. We showed that fucoidan inhibits tumor viability by activating the TLR4/ROS/ER stress axis and the downstream PERK-ATF4-CHOP pathway, leading to apoptosis and suppression of lung cancer cell progression. Together, these results indicate that fucoidan is a potential preventive and therapeutic agent for lung cancer that acts via activation of ROS-dependent ER stress pathways.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common age-related neurodegenerative disorder. As the aging population is increasing, AD is becoming one of the leading causes of disability and death among the elderly. However, currently there is no cure for this disease. Fucoidan is a complex sulfated polysaccharide ma

Structural and rheological characterization of reconstituted hydrogels developed from A. vera non-fibrous alcohol insoluble residue (NFAIR) powder using different methods [viz., shaking (S), heating-shaking (HS), and heating (H)] and concentrations (viz., 0.2–1.6 %, w/v) was carried out. Functional group distribution by FTIR spectroscopy and Congo red (CR) method revealed the presence of acetylated acemannan in A. vera powder. Dynamic oscillation studies of A. vera (NFAIR) fluids at all concentrations of 0.2–1.6 %, w/v, showed gel strength in the order of H > HS > S method. However, in H method, increase in concentration from 0.2 to 1.6 %, w/v showed the conformational transition from semi-diluted solution to weak gel nature. Rheological models described the effect of heating temperatures (HT); 30–90 °C, and times (Ht); 15–60 min on viscoelastic behavior in reconstituted A. vera fluids. The reconstituted A. vera hydrogel prepared with a concentration of 1.6 %, w/v using 50 °C (HT) and 30 min (Ht) condition showed a good agreement with the Power law (storage modulus, G′) and Weak gel model (complex modulus, G*) fitted data (R2 > 0.94) resulting higher viscoelastic moduli intercepts; G′0 (71.5 Pa s n′), G″0 (33.5 Pa s n″), lower slopes; n′ (0.22), n″ (0.06), higher network strength (A F , 121.3 Pa s1/z ) and number of network (z, 5.3) values. The obtained results suggested that heating at 50 °C/30 min can develop aqueous weak gel networks of A. vera with enhanced gel strength which may be utilized as a novel gelling agent for wide variety of targeted applications in food and pharmaceutical sectors.

Multiple myeloma (MM) remains an incurable hematological neoplasms. Our previous studies showed that Fucoidan possessed anti-myeloma effect by inducing apoptosis and inhibiting invasion of myeloma cells. In this study, we evaluated the effect of Fucoidan on angiogenesis induced by human myeloma cells and elucidated its possible mechanisms. Multiple myeloma cells were treated with Fucoidan at different concentrations, then the conditioned medium (CM) was collected. The levels of VEGF in the CM were tested by ELISA. The results showed that Fucoidan significantly decreased VEGF secretion by RPMI-8226 and U266 cells. The tube formation assay and migration test on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were used to examine the effect of Fucoidan on angiogenesis induced by human myeloma cells. The results showed that Fucoidan decreased HUVECs formed tube structures and inhibited HUVECs migration, and suppressed the angiogenic ability of multiple myeloma RPMI-8226 and U266 cells in a dose-dependent manner. The study also showed that Fucoidan downregulated the expression of several kinds of proteins, which may be correlated with the reduction of angiogenesis induced by myeloma cells. Moreover, results were compared from normoxic and hypoxic conditions, they showed that Fucoidan had anti-angiogenic activity. Furthermore, in a multiple myeloma xenograft mouse model, it indicated that Fucoidan negatively affected tumor growth and angiogenesis in vivo. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that Fucoidan was able to interfere with angiogenesis of multiple myeloma cells both in vitro and in vivo and may have a substantial potential in the treatment of MM.

Fucoidan, a sulfated polysaccharide extracted from brown seaweed, has been used in traditional Chinese herbal medicine to treat thyroid tumors for many years. Although a number of its cellular effects have been investigated, the role of fucoidan in molecular signaling, particularly in Ca2+ signaling …

Symbiotic effect of butyrate-producing endophytic microbiota and Aloe vera gel containing non-digestible carbohydrates was discussed on slowing ageing design: butyrate efficacy for insulin sensitivity, sirtuin activation through histone deacetylase inhibitors in vitro study. Possible putative efficacy of butyrate fermented by endophytic microbiota for insulin sensitivity on glucose homeostasis is discussed.

In tumor microenvironment, macrophages as a polarized M2 population promote tumor progression via releasing multiple cytokines and chemokines. A brown seaweed fucose-rich polysaccharide, fucoidan has antitumor activity and immune modulation through affecting tumor cells and lymphocytes. Here, we focused on the effect of fucoidan on macrophages especially M2 subtype. Our results demonstrated that fucoidan down-regulated partial cytokines and chemokines, especially a M2-type chemokine CCL22. Furthermore, fucoidan inhibited tumor cells migration and CD4+ T lymphocytes, especially Treg cells, recruitment induced by M2 macrophages conditioned medium through suppression of CCL22. Mechanismly, fucoidan inhibited CCL22 via suppressing p65-NF-κB phosphorylation and nuclear translocation. In addition, p38-MAPK and PI3K-AKT also affected the expression of CCL22 through differential modulation of NF-κB transcriptional activity. Taken together, we reveal an interesting result that fucoidan can inhibit tumor cell migration and lymphocytes recruitment by suppressing CCL22 in M2 macrophages via NF-κB-dependent transcription, which may be a novel and promising mechanism for tumor immunotherapy.

Fucoidan, a sulfated polysaccharide, is an active component found in various species of seaweed. Although this compound has a strong anti-inflammatory activity, the underlying mechanisms exerted by fucoidan have not been fully elucidated. In the present study, the anti-inflammatory effects of fucoidan on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated macrophages and zebrafish larvae were examined. The present data indicated that fucoidan significantly suppressed the secretion of pro-inflammatory mediators including nitric oxide (NO ) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), and cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β in RAW 264.7 macrophages without any significant cytotoxicity, the protective effects of which were accompanied by a marked reduction in their regulatory gene expression at the transcription levels. Fucoidan also inhibited translocation of the nuclear factor-kappa B from the cytoplasm to the nucleus and attenuated LPS-induced production of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) in RAW 264.7 macrophages. Moreover, fucoidan reduced NO and PGE2 production and ROS accumulation in LPS-stimulated zebrafish larvae, which was associated with a diminished recruitment of neutrophils and macrophages. Based on the results of this study, we suggest that fucoidan has excellent potential as a therapeutic agent for inflammatory disorders.

AIM: Diet is a natural source of butyrate through the fermentation of non-digestive fiber, such as acemannan in Aloe vera gel, is a strong appearing target for health and quality of life as an immune modulation and colorectal cancer prevention in aged people. In our earlier research on fermentation by endophytic bacteria in Aloe vera gel, butyric acid was identified by GC/MSD analysis. Present investigation aims the identification of the microbiota. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The endophytic microbiota of Aloe vera gel in the fermented media were examined by use of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry. RESULTS: The following microbiota were identified: Bacillus cereus, B. licheniformis, Lactobacillus paralimentarium, Yeast: Clavispora lusitaniae. The safety pattern of the prepared Aloe vera gel was tested on normal non-cancerous cells and indicated the absence of any significant possible toxicity on the cells. Also, the extracted gels showed abilities to regulate the inflammatory responses in the inflammation cell models via the reduction in the amount of induced reactive oxygen species and both COX 1 and 2 enzymes. DISCUSSIOIN: Identification of butyrate-producing endophytic microbiota in Aloe vera gel fermentation and finding of inflamatory as well as antioxidant activities of butyrate in the fermented gel may help explain the known beneficial effects of butyrate in intestinal colon and on colitis. An innovative concept of symbiotics: a combination of Aloe vera gel juice and microbiota: Bacillus cereus, B.licheniformis. Lactobacillus paralimentarium and Clavispora lusitaniae, is a perspective on alleviation of cancer disease and improvement of gastrointestinal health by butyrate fermentation.

Studies have been focused on natural products with antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activities, such as fucoidan. Many in vivo studies have evaluat…

Studies have been focused on natural products with antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activities, such as fucoidan. Many in vivo studies have evaluat…

High oxygen mechanical ventilation is widely used to treat various lung diseases; however, it may result in hyperoxia, which induces inflammation and lung injury. Fucoidan is an extract of the seaweed Fucus vesiculosus, which has previously been reported to exert effects against diabetic nephropathy …