Dietary influence of Fucoidan supplementation on growth of Lates calcarifer (Bloch)

Sulphated polysaccharides exhibit a range of activities which promote health and growth benefits to aquaculture species. One class of sulphated polysaccharides derived from marine algae is fucoidan, which is suggested to exhibit an affinity to the negative muscle growth inhibitory protein myostatin. Addition of fucoidan to the diet of fish therefore may lead to enhancements in growth through inactivation of the myostatin protein. To examine the growth enhancing potential of this sulphated polysaccharide, fucoidan extracts from Undaria pinnatifida were added to the diet of juvenile barramundi, Lates calcarifer. The fucoidan extract was of 86% purity and included in two treatment diets at 5 g kg^?1 (0.5%) and 10 g kg^?1 (1%) respectively. Fish were fed the diet for 52 days. At the end of the feeding trial, barramundi fed with the 1% fucoidan inclusion diet exhibited enhanced growth with significantly increased lengths, weights and muscle fibre area (hypertrophy) when compared to the 0.5% fucoidan inclusion diet and the non‐fucoidan control diet. This research suggests that addition of fucoidan to the diet of fish may have growth promoting effects.     

Activation of intestinal epithelial cells in Atlantic cod,Gadus morhua,induced by algal derivatives

This study investigated the influences of two algal derivatives, alginic acid and fucoidan (FUC) on the activities of the intestinal epithelial cells (IEC) of Atlantic cod. The cells were isolated from three regions of the intestines, and primary cultures were incubated with the derivatives followed by temporal analysis of cellular activities. Epithelial cell survival in the fore and hind intestine was not significantly affected by the algal derivatives at both time points (3 and 24 h postincubation, hpi). Cellular survival in the mid‐intestine decreased significantly at 3 hpi. Stimulation of myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity of IEC induced by the algal derivatives was observed to be region dependent. Myeloperoxidase activity in the cells from fore‐ and mid‐intestines was not significantly affected by the two algal derivatives. Both algal derivatives significantly stimulated the activity at 3 hpi in the hind intestinal cells, and FUC‐exposed cells remained significantly elevated until 24 hpi. The results showed that algal derivatives could be applied as potential immunostimulants in cod with stimulatory action of MPO activity in the mucosal immune cells of the hind intestine.     

Fucoidan as a Potential Therapeutic for Major Blinding Diseases—A Hypothesis

Fucoidan is a heterogeneous group of sulfated polysaccharide with a high content of l-fucose, which can be extracted from brown algae and marine invertebrates. It has many beneficial biological activities that make fucoidan an interesting candidate for therapeutic application in a variety of diseases. Age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy are major causes for vision loss and blindness in the industrialized countries and increasingly in the developing world. Some of the characteristics found in certain fucoidans, such as its anti-oxidant activity, complement inhibition or interaction with the Vascular Endothelial Growth factor, which would be of high interest for a potential application of fucoidan in age-related macular degeneration or diabetic retinopathy. However, the possible usage of fucoidan in ophthalmological diseases has received little attention so far. In this review, biological activities of fucoidan that could be of interest regarding these diseases will be discussed.     

用复合酶酶解-热水浸提法提取裙带菜孢子叶粉岩藻聚糖硫酸酯的工艺研究

采用正交试验方法,研究了用戊聚糖复合酶及复合纤维素酶酶解—热水浸提法提取裙带菜Undariapinnatifida孢子叶粉中岩藻聚糖硫酸酯的酶解工艺参数。结果表明:用戊聚糖复合酶酶解裙带菜孢子叶粉的最佳酶解参数为酶加量0.12%,温度为50℃,pH为5.5,时间为30 min,岩藻聚糖硫酸酯粗提物得率为5.171%,总硫酸根的质量分数为1.432%,粗提物中糖的质量分数为21.38%;用复合纤维素酶酶解裙带菜孢子叶粉的最佳酶解参数为酶加量0.227%,温度为45℃,pH为4.5,时间为70 min,岩藻聚糖硫酸酯粗提物得率为5.720%,总硫酸根的质量分数为1.118%,粗提物中糖的质量分数为28.24%。用两种复合酶酶解—热水浸提法提取的岩藻聚糖硫酸酯粗提物得率均较水煮法(4.665%)高。     

海带褐藻糖胶的分离纯化及其抗氧化活性测定

为更好地开发海带资源,分别采用DEAE-Sepharose FF弱阴离子交换柱层析、高效液相凝胶色谱对海带褐藻糖胶粗品进行分离纯化,结果表明,2种方法均可用于褐藻糖胶的分离,均分离出3个组分,离子交换层析分离出的组分命名为D-1,D-2,D-3。高效液相凝胶色谱分离的3种组分命名为H-1,H-2,H-3,其分子量分别为193.148,74.407,44.452 kD。对D-1,D-2,D-33种组分进行抗氧化活性测定,3种组分对DPPH自由基和·OH均表现出一定的清除能力,且分子量越小,清除自由基能力越强,体外抗氧化活性越好。     

Preparation and Characterization of Antioxidant Nanoparticles Composed of Chitosan and Fucoidan for Antibiotics Delivery

In this study, we developed novel chitosan/fucoidan nanoparticles (CS/F NPs) using a simple polyelectrolyte self-assembly method and evaluated their potential to be antioxidant carriers. As the CS/F weight ratio was 5/1, the CS/F NPs were spherical and exhibited diameters of approximately 230–250 nm, as demonstrated by TEM. These CS/F NPs maintained compactness and stability for 25 day in phosphate-buffered saline (pH 6.0–7.4). The CS/F NPs exhibited highly potent antioxidant effects by scavenging 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), reducing the concentration of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and superoxide anion (O₂⁻) in stimulated macrophages. The DPPH scavenging effect of CS/F NPs primarily derives from fucoidan. Furthermore, these CS/F NPs activated no host immune cells into inflammation-mediated cytotoxic conditions induced by IL-6 production and NO generation. The MTT cell viability assay revealed an absence of toxicity in A549 cells after exposure to the formulations containing 0.375 mg NPs/mL to 3 mg NPs/mL. Gentamicin (GM), an antibiotic, was used as a model drug for an in vitro releasing test. The CS/F NPs controlled the release of GM for up to 72 h, with 99% of release. The antioxidant CS/F NPs prepared in this study could thus be effective in delivering antibiotics to the lungs, particularly for airway inflammatory diseases.     

Fucoidan as a Marine Anticancer Agent in Preclinical Development

Fucoidan is a fucose-containing sulfated polysaccharide derived from brown seaweeds, crude extracts of which are commercially available as nutritional supplements. Recent studies have demonstrated antiproliferative, antiangiogenic, and anticancer properties of fucoidan in vitro. Accordingly, the anticancer effects of fucoidan have been shown to vary depending on its structure, while it can target multiple receptors or signaling molecules in various cell types, including tumor cells and immune cells. Low toxicity and the in vitro effects of fucoidan mentioned above make it a suitable agent for cancer prevention or treatment. However, preclinical development of natural marine products requires in vivo examination of purified compounds in animal tumor models. This review discusses the effects of systemic and local administration of fucoidan on tumor growth, angiogenesis, and immune reaction and whether in vivo and in vitro results are likely applicable to the development of fucoidan as a marine anticancer drug.     

Radioprotective effects of fucoidan on bone marrow cells: improvement of the cell survival and immunoreactivity

Fucoidan is a sulfated polysaccharide purified from brown algae including Fucus vesiculosus and has a variety of biological effects including mobilization of hematopoietic progenitor cells. Recently, we demonstrated that fucoidan stimulates the antigen-presenting functions of dendritic cells. In this study, we investigated the radioprotective effects of fucoidan on bone marrow cells (BMCs), which are the main cellular reservoir for the hematopoietic and immune system. To evaluate the effects of fucoidan, we assayed cell viability and immune responses. In a viability assay, fucoidan significantly increased the viability of BMCs. Based on the results of flow cytometric analysis, the increased viability of fucoidan-treated BMCs was attributed to the inhibition of radiation-induced apoptosis. Furthermore, fucoidan altered the production of immune-related cytokines from BMCs and increased the capability of BMCs to induce proliferation of allogeneic splenocytes. Taken together, our study demonstrated that fucoidan has radioprotective effects on BMCs with respect to cell viability and immunoreactivity. These results may provide valuable information, useful in the field of radiotherapy.     

Sulfated Polysaccharides from Macroalgae Are Potent Dual Inhibitors of Human ATP-Hydrolyzing Ectonucleotidases NPP1 and CD39

Extracellular ATP mediates proinflammatory and antiproliferative effects via activation of P2 nucleotide receptors. In contrast, its metabolite, the nucleoside adenosine, is strongly immunosuppressive and enhances tumor proliferation and metastasis. The conversion of ATP to adenosine is catalyzed by ectonucleotidases, which are expressed on immune cells and typically upregulated on tumor cells. In the present study, we identified sulfopolysaccharides from brown and red sea algae to act as potent dual inhibitors of the main ATP-hydrolyzing ectoenzymes, ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase-1 (NPP1) and ecto-nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase-1 (NTPDase1, CD39), showing nano- to picomolar potency and displaying a non-competitive mechanism of inhibition. We showed that one of the sulfopolysaccharides tested as a representative example reduced adenosine formation at the surface of the human glioblastoma cell line U87 in a concentration-dependent manner. These natural products represent the most potent inhibitors of extracellular ATP hydrolysis known to date and have potential as novel therapeutics for the immunotherapy of cancer.     

Fucoidan Derived from Undaria pinnatifida Induces Apoptosis in Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma SMMC-7721 Cells via the ROS-Mediated Mitochondrial Pathway

Fucoidans, fucose-enriched sulfated polysaccharides isolated from brown algae and marine invertebrates, have been shown to exert anticancer activity in several types of human cancer, including leukemia and breast cancer and in lung adenocarcinoma cells. In the present study, the anticancer activity of the fucoidan extracted from the brown seaweed Undaria pinnatifida was investigated in human hepatocellular carcinoma SMMC-7721 cells, and the underlying mechanisms of action were investigated. SMMC-7721 cells exposed to fucoidan displayed growth inhibition and several typical features of apoptotic cells, such as chromatin condensation and marginalization, a decrease in the number of mitochondria, and in mitochondrial swelling and vacuolation. Fucoidan-induced cell death was associated with depletion of reduced glutathione (GSH), accumulation of high intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and accompanied by damage to the mitochondrial ultrastructure, depolarization of the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP, Δψm) and caspase activation. Moreover, fucoidan led to altered expression of factors related to apoptosis, including downregulating Livin and XIAP mRNA, which are members of the inhibitor of apoptotic protein (IAP) family, and increased the Bax-to-Bcl-2 ratio. These findings suggest that fucoidan isolated from U. pinnatifida induced apoptosis in SMMC-7721 cells via the ROS-mediated mitochondrial pathway.