Antiangiogenic activity of brown algae fucoxanthin and its deacetylated product, fucoxanthinol

The antiangiogenic effects of fucoxanthin and a deacetylated product, fucoxanthinol, were examined. Fucoxanthin significantly suppressed HUVEC proliferation and tube formation at more than 10 microM, but it had no significant effect on HUVEC chemotaxis. The formation of blood vessel-like structures from CD31-positive cells was evaluated using embryonic stem cell-derived embryoid bodies. Fucoxanthin effectively suppressed the development of these structures at 10-20 microM, suggesting that it could suppress differentiation of endothelial progenitor cells into endothelial cells involving new blood vessel formation. Fucoxanthin and fucoxanthinol suppressed microvessel outgrowth in an ex vivo angiogenesis assay using a rat aortic ring, in a dose-dependent manner. These results imply that fucoxanthin having antiangiogenic activity might be useful in preventing angiogenesis-related diseases.