Glyconutrients

Brown seaweed is a common food for Asians, and the bioactive ingredient fucoxanthin exerts anti-apoptotic activities in several cell types. Renal tubu…

Brown seaweed is a common food for Asians, and the bioactive ingredient fucoxanthin exerts anti-apoptotic activities in several cell types. Renal tubu…

Fucoidan is a water-soluble, negatively charged, biologically active polysaccharide found in great abundance in brown marine algae. However, the inhib…

Background. Conventional anticancer therapies still cause difficulties with selective eradication and accompanying side effects that reduce patients’ quality of...

Fucoidan is a polysaccharide, which is derived from brown algae and some marine invertebrates, consisting mainly of L-fucose and sulfate ester groups [1]. Fucoidan is particularly found in the cell wall of marine brown algae. This polysaccharide is named as fucoidin when it is derived from the first marine brown algae. Kylin gave Fucoidin in 1913. However, this name has been changed to fucoidan according to IUPAC rules [2]. Fucoidan related different studies have performed in the literature [1,2]. It has different bioactivities such as anticoagulant, anti-thrombotic, antiinflammatory, antitumoral, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-hepatopathy, anti-uropathy, anti-inflammatory. These activities depend on the source of fucoidan samples taken from different species [1,2]. In addition, fucoidan is non-toxic or any adverse effects on the healthy tissues so that it can be used safety. There are many forms of fucoidan but the simplest molecular structure of fucoidan is obtained from Fucus vesiculosus consists mainly of 44.1% fucose, 26.3% sulphate and 31.1% ash and a small proportion of aminoglucose [3,4].

This study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of fucoidan in ameliorating hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced oxidative stress to porcine intestinal epithelial cell line (IPEC-1). The cell viability test was initially performed to screen out appropriate concentrations of H2O2 and fucoidan. After that, cells were exposed to H2O2 in the presence or absence of pre-incubation with fucoidan. Hydrogen peroxide increased the apoptotic and necrotic rate, boosted reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and disturbed the transcriptional expression of genes associated with antioxidant defense and apoptosis in IPEC-1 cells. Pre-incubation with fucoidan inhibited the increases in necrosis and ROS accumulation induced by H2O2. Consistently, in the H2O2-treated IPEC-1 cells, fucoidan normalized the content of reduced glutathione as well as the mRNA abundance of NAD(P)H quinone dehydrogenase 1 and superoxide dismutase 1 while it prevented the overproduction of malondialdehyde. Moreover, H2O2 stimulated the translocation of nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor-2 to the nucleus of IPEC-1 cells, but this increase was further promoted by fucoidan pre-treatment. The results suggest that fucoidan is effective in protecting IPEC-1 cells against oxidative damage induced by H2O2, which may help in developing appropriate strategies for maintaining the intestinal health of young piglets.

Atherosclerosis (AS) is the key cause of many cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. The inflammatory response and lipid metabolism disorders co…

Obesity is global problem that contributes to disease, and is partly caused by fast-food, high-fat diets. Much attention has been focused on developing anti-obesity foods and chemical materials from natural sources. Seaweed has bioactive properties that influence immune activity and have anti-cancer and anti-obesity effects. Laminaria japonica is a widely consumed seaweed, and has been promoted as a health food in Korea. The bioactive properties of L. japonica include anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, and anti-inflammation effects. Most Laminaria japonica are distributed in a simple processing form such as drying, and their availability is very low. Therefore, various types of functional products can be developed if they can be applied to foods through functionalization using fermentation techniques. It is a structural problem that is the most problematic in seaweed processing. In this study, we used fermented Laminaria japonica. To increase physiological activity, fermentation treatment was performed to loosen the structure, thereby increasing the activity of the glycoprotein. First, we screened the anti-obesity potential of an L. japonica fermentation extract (LJF) using 3T3-L1 adipocyte cells. We determined cytotoxicity using an MTS assay and measured LJF for its ability to affect adipogenesis through glucose uptake, triglyceride levels, and Oil Red O staining. We confirmed that LJF inhibited adipocyte differentiation. CCAAT/enhancer-binding proteins α/β (C/EBP-α/β) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ) are involved in the early and late stages of adipocyte differentiation. LJF significantly reduced the expression levels of C/EBP-α/β and PPAR-γ and decreased the concentration of adiponectin. Thus, our results suggest that LJF inhibits adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 cells, and may be valuable for its anti-obesity effects.

Obesity is global problem that contributes to disease, and is partly caused by fast-food, high-fat diets. Much attention has been focused on developing anti-obesity foods and chemical materials from natural sources. Seaweed has bioactive properties that influence immune activity and have anti-cancer and anti-obesity effects. Laminaria japonica is a widely consumed seaweed, and has been promoted as a health food in Korea. The bioactive properties of L. japonica include anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, and anti-inflammation effects. Most Laminaria japonica are distributed in a simple processing form such as drying, and their availability is very low. Therefore, various types of functional products can be developed if they can be applied to foods through functionalization using fermentation techniques. It is a structural problem that is the most problematic in seaweed processing. In this study, we used fermented Laminaria japonica. To increase physiological activity, fermentation treatment was performed to loosen the structure, thereby increasing the activity of the glycoprotein. First, we screened the anti-obesity potential of an L. japonica fermentation extract (LJF) using 3T3-L1 adipocyte cells. We determined cytotoxicity using an MTS assay and measured LJF for its ability to affect adipogenesis through glucose uptake, triglyceride levels, and Oil Red O staining. We confirmed that LJF inhibited adipocyte differentiation. CCAAT/enhancer-binding proteins α/β (C/EBP-α/β) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ) are involved in the early and late stages of adipocyte differentiation. LJF significantly reduced the expression levels of C/EBP-α/β and PPAR-γ and decreased the concentration of adiponectin. Thus, our results suggest that LJF inhibits adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 cells, and may be valuable for its anti-obesity effects.

Europe PMC is an archive of life sciences journal literature.

Europe PMC is an archive of life sciences journal literature.

In spite of their potential as biologically active compounds, the high molecular mass and viscous natures of fucoidans have hampered their applications especially as a therapeutic agent. Herein the fucoidan-degrading enzyme activities were partially purified from the cultured cells of Sphingomonas paucimobilis PF-1 mainly by ammonium sulfate precipitation. This enzyme preparation degraded fucoidans from the Korean Undaria pinnatifida sporophyll into several low-molecular weight fuco-oligosaccharides (LMFOs) with less than 3,749 Da. The FTIR spectra of intact fucoidan and mixture of LMFOs (1,389∼3,749 Da) showed no significant structural difference except for about 10% reduced level of sulfate esters in LMFOs. The LMFOs have exerted strong anticoagulating activities at which the activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) and thrombin time (TT) were significantly prolonged, although 3∼20 times weaker activities were observed than those of intact fucoidan. In addition, unlike intact fucoidan, LMFOs did not affect significantly to the prothrombin time (PT). These results suggest that the partially purified fucoidan-degrading enzyme preparation is valuable for the production of fuco-oligosaccharides having anticoagulating activities, and that the molecular weight and/or sulfate content of the fucoidan from the Korean Undaria pinnatifida sporophyll could be important factors for its anticoagulating activity.

Chemotherapeutic drugs commonly induce peripheral neuropathic pain, which limit their clinic use. In the present study, the effect of fucoidan on the development of vincristine‑induced neuropathic pain was evaluated and the underlying mechanism was examined. A neuropathy model was established in Sprague‑Dawley rats by intraperitoneal injection of vincristine sulfate 50 µg/kg once a day for 10 consecutive days. Fucoidan (50, 100 or 200 mg/kg.) and pregabalin (10 mg/kg) were injected for 14 consecutive days. Behavioral assessments were then performed and the expression of GABAB receptor was determined. The results showed that a single treatment with fucoidan did not prevent the induction of vincristine‑induced mechanical or cold allodynia. However, repeated fucoidan administration attenuated vincristine‑induced mechanical and cold allodynia in a dose‑dependent manner. Additionally, the analgesic effects of fucoidan contributed to an upregulation in the expression of GABAB receptor in the spinal cord. Furthermore, all the effects of fucoidan against vincristine‑induced neuropathy were reversed by saclofen, a selective GABAB receptor antagonist. These results suggested that the antinociceptive effects of fucoidan may be through activation of GABAB receptor, and fucoidan may be a promising drug for the treatment of chemotherapeutic drug-induced neuropathic pain.

Chemotherapeutic drugs commonly induce peripheral neuropathic pain, which limit their clinic use. In the present study, the effect of fucoidan on the development of vincristine‑induced neuropathic pain was evaluated and the underlying mechanism was examined. A neuropathy model was established in Sprague‑Dawley rats by intraperitoneal injection of vincristine sulfate 50 µg/kg once a day for 10 consecutive days. Fucoidan (50, 100 or 200 mg/kg.) and pregabalin (10 mg/kg) were injected for 14 consecutive days. Behavioral assessments were then performed and the expression of GABAB receptor was determined. The results showed that a single treatment with fucoidan did not prevent the induction of vincristine‑induced mechanical or cold allodynia. However, repeated fucoidan administration attenuated vincristine‑induced mechanical and cold allodynia in a dose‑dependent manner. Additionally, the analgesic effects of fucoidan contributed to an upregulation in the expression of GABAB receptor in the spinal cord. Furthermore, all the effects of fucoidan against vincristine‑induced neuropathy were reversed by saclofen, a selective GABAB receptor antagonist. These results suggested that the antinociceptive effects of fucoidan may be through activation of GABAB receptor, and fucoidan may be a promising drug for the treatment of chemotherapeutic drug-induced neuropathic pain.

Rhizoid of Laminaria japonica was hydrolyzed with proteases and carbohydrases to obtain antioxidant materials. Oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) of the enzymatic extracts was evaluated and the

Fucoidan, a natural sulfated polysaccharide, displays various biological activities including antioxidant properties. We examined the neuroprotective effect of fucoidan against transient global cerebral ischemia (tGCI) in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese gerbils and its related mechanisms. Gerbils received HFD for 12 weeks and fucoidan (50 mg/kg) daily for the last 5 days during HFD exposure, and they were subjected to 5-min tGCI. Pyramidal cell death was observed only in the CA 1 area (CA1) of the hippocampus in non-obese gerbils 5 days after tGCI. However, in obese gerbils, pyramidal cell death in the CA1 and CA2/3 occurred at 2 days and 5 days, respectively, after tGCI. In the obese gerbils, oxidative stress indicators (dihydroethidium, 8-hydroxyguanine and 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal) were significantly enhanced and antioxidant enzymes (SOD1 and SOD2) were significantly reduced in pre- and post-ischemic phases compared to the non-obese gerbils. Fucoidan treatment attenuated acceleration and exacerbation of tGCI-induced neuronal death in the CA1–3, showing that oxidative stress was significantly reduced, and antioxidant enzymes were significantly increased in pre- and post-ischemic phases. These findings indicate that pretreated fucoidan can relieve the acceleration and exacerbation of ischemic brain injury in an obese state via the attenuation of obesity-induced severe oxidative damage.

Fucoidans extracted from brown algae have been documented to have excellent antithrombotic activity when administered by either intravenous or subcutaneous route in animal models. However, it is unknown if the fucoidans also have antithrombotic activity when administered orally, a highly desirable feature of oral antithrombotic agents. In the present study, we compared the oral absorption, bioavailability and antithrombotic activity of two fucoidan fractions from Laminaria japonica with different molecular weight by oral administration in an electricity induced arterial thrombosis model and the underlying molecular mechanisms.

The present study demonstrated the effect of fucoidan, isolated from Fucus vesiculosus, on cell growth and apoptosis in anaplastic thyroid cancer cells. The cell viability was analyzed using a Cell Counting Kit‑8 cell proliferation kit. Diamidino-2-phenylindole and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick‑end labeling assays were used to examine the apoptotic effect of fucoidan, which revealed the presence of apoptotic bodies and DNA fragmentation. Fucoidan inhibited the growth of FTC133 and TPC1 ATC cells in a dose‑dependent manner. It also induced the apoptosis of FTC133 cells by promoting the expression levels of cleaved poly ADP‑ribose polymerase and caspase‑3. Significant decreases in the levels expression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α and vascular endothelial growth factor were observed in the FTC133 cells following treatment of the cells with fucoidan. In addition, inhibition in tube formation and the migration of FTC133 cells were observed in the cells treated with fucoidan, compared with the cells in the control group. Therefore, fucoidan inhibited cell growth, induced apoptosis and suppressed angiogenesis in the thyroid cancer cells.

Background Fucoidan, a water-soluble polysaccharide, exerts anticoagulant and antiviral functions. It was recently reported that fucoidan also exerts an antitumor function. Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world. The aim of this study was to investigate anti-tumor,apoptosis and anti-metastasis effects of fucoidan in both cell-based assays and mouse xenograft model, as well as to clarify possible role of m-TOR pathway in the protection. Methods In vitro: Different concentrations of fucoidan were given to act on non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines A549 and H1650. The effects of fucoidan on cell proliferation were observed by detecting cyclin expression levels, CCK8 and EDU experiments and cloning experiments. The apoptotic level was detected by flow cytometry and the apoptotic protein level was detected by Westernblot. By detecting the expression of adhesion molecules, the expression of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) family, and Transwell cell invasion and migration experiment, the effect of fucoidan on cell adhesion, invasion and migration was observed. Meanwhile the effect of fucoidan on angiogenesis was observed by detecting the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). In vivo experiment: An animal model of NSCLC cell mouse subcutaneous xenograft tumor was established to analyze the correlation between the consumption of fucoidan and the size and volume of xenograft tumor through gross observation. Through immunohistochemical staining and immunofluorescence double staining, ki67 and cell adhesion molecules (E-cadherin, N-cadherin and CD31) and VEGF-A in the tumor were detected, and the correlation between the amount of fucoidan and the above indexes was analyzed. Results Fucoidan inhibited the proliferation and angiogenesis of NSCLC cells via the mTOR pathway and promoted their apoptosis by increasing the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. Not only that, fucoidan inhibited NSCLC cell invasion via epithelial–mesenchymal transformation (EMT). The mice fed fucoidan exhibited significant reductions in tumor volumes and weights. These indicators (Ki67, VEGF-A,N-cadherin) were decreased and E-cadherin expression was up-regulated in A549 mice that treated with fucoidan. The results showed that fucoidan inhibited tumor proliferation in vivo by affecting the expression of related proteins. Conclusion Fucoidan conveys antitumor effects and our results represent an ideal therapeutic agent for NSCLC.

This in vitro study investigated the antiviral activity of an acidic polysaccharide from Laminaria japonica against enterovirus 71 (EV71) as well as i…

From food to fertilizer, algal derived products are largely employed in assorted industries, including agricultural, biomedical, food, and pharmaceutical industries. Among different chemical compositions isolated from algae, polysaccharides are the most ...

Fucoidan is a series of sulfated polysaccharides derived from brown algae, and have reported to have various biological activities. Previously, we demonstrated that fucoidan derived from Cladosiphon okamuranus and Undaria pinnatifida effectively augmented anti-tumor immunity in combination with Agaricus blazei mycelia extract. In this study, we evaluated the capacity of the fucoidan-agaricus mix (FAM) to enhance oral mucosal immune function. Fifteen healthy volunteers (mean age, 41.2 years old; range, 22–56 years old; 8 males, 7 females) ingested 4 capsules each containing 250 mg FAM powder every day for 12 weeks. As a result, the mean of secretory rates of salivary secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) tended to be increased by the FAM administration for 4 and 12 weeks as compared with the initial value. The enhanced salivary sIgA secretion was more distinctly observed in subject group whose initial values of salivary sIgA secretory rate were lower than the total average. Furthermore, the intake of FAM led to significant augmentation in the salivary sIgA secretion (by 1.3-fold) in the group of subjects under 40 years of age. On the other hand, concanavalin A-induced blastogenic response of peripheral blood mononuclear cells and serum IgA concentration was not elevated during this trial. Therefore, it was suggested that FAM stimulated functional maturation rather than expansion of B lymphocyte. The intake of FAM did not significantly affect NK cell activities. In addition, the safety of FAM consumption was confirmed because no abnormal findings were observed in general clinical tests. From the results, it was suggested that intake of FAM was useful in augmentation of oral mucosal immune defense via enhancing salivary sIgA production.

Seaweeds are a sustainable source of novel functional ingredients with applicability in pharmaceutics, biotechnology, and food science. The bioactivity of most of these marine compounds has scarcely been studied. The present study overviews the bioactivity of the polysaccharide fucoidan derived from Fucus vesiculosus brown algae as an antimicrobial agent against Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. The results obtained in vitro in reference medium reveal a bacteriostatic and bactericidal effect of fucoidan against both pathogens, this bioactivity being significantly dependent (p-value ≤ 0.05) on the concentration, 5–1000 μg/mL, temperature, 8–37 °C, and exposure time, 0–12 days. The results were validated in the formulation of a new functional pasteurized apple beverage to be commercialized under refrigeration. Fucoidan added at 25–100 μg/mL was highly effective against both pathogens. These results increase knowledge for the future formulation of new functional beverages that include marine compounds (high content in fibre, high content in protein; prebiotic and antioxidant properties), additionally revealing antimicrobial potential.

Developing bio-multifunctional wound dressings with excellent hemostasis, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, enhanced angiogenesis and hair follicle re…

Fucoidan refers to a group of sulphated polysaccharides obtained from brown seaweed, with numerous biological activities. In this study, fucoidan was …

Due to antitumor and antioxidant activities, there has been increasing interest in fucoidans, sulfated polysaccharides, from brown algae. Currently, t…

A previous study revealed that fucoidan inhibited mast cell degranulation through the upregulation of galectin-9 in blood. The purpose of this study is to elucidate its mechanism using ovalbumin (OVA) induced anaphylaxis model mice (BALB/c, Female, 5-week-old) and mast cell line (RBL-2H3 cells). Oral administration of fucoidan after sensitization with OVA/Al(OH)3 inhibited reduction of rectal temperature induced by activation of mast cells. Fucoidan increased galectin-9 mRNA expression only in colonic epithelial cells. These results suggested that fucoidan could suppress the allergic symptoms in sensitized mice by inducing galectin-9 production from colonic epithelial cells. In addition, to check the influence of galectin 9 on the degranulation of mast cells, RBL-2H3 cell lines were treated directly with recombinant galectin-9. As expected, galectin-9 inhibited degranulation of RBL-2H3 cells pre-bound with IgE. Moreover, the residual amounts of IgE on RBL-2H3 cells were decreased by an addition of galectin-9. It was demonstrated that galectin-9 could remove IgE even if IgE was already bound to mast cells and suppress the mast cells degranulation induced by antigen. This study shows that fucoidan might become an effective therapeutic agent for patients already developed type I allergic diseases.

In this study, we observed that brown seaweed fucoidan inhibited human breast cancer progression by upregulating microRNA (miR)-29c and downregulating miR-17-5p, thereby suppressing their target genes, a disintegrin and metalloproteinase 12 (ADAM12) and ...

In this study, we observed that brown seaweed fucoidan inhibited human breast cancer progression by upregulating microRNA (miR)-29c and downregulating miR-17-5p, thereby suppressing their target genes, a disintegrin and metalloproteinase 12 (ADAM12) and ...