The purpose of this study was to investigate the biological activity of fucoidan, a sulfur-containing polysaccharide, on cytotoxicity and apoptosis in the human HT-29 colorectal cancer cell line using cell viability, Flow cytometry, Western blot, and RT-PCR analyses. Fucoidan inhibited the proliferation of HT-29 cells by 39.6% at a concentration of 100 μg/mL for 72 h. The inhibition was dose-dependent and accompanied by apoptosis. Flow cytometric analysis showed that fucoidan increased early apoptosis and late apoptosis by 65.84% and 72.09% at concentrations of 25 and 100 μg/mL, respectively. Analysis of the mechanism of these events indicated that fucoidan-treated cells exhibited increases in the activation of caspase-3, caspase-8, and PARP in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggest that fucoidan may inhibit the growth of human colorectal cancer cells by various apoptosis-promoting effects, as well as by apoptosis itself.

Fucoidan(후코이단)은 주로 갈조류에서 추출되는 fucose를 함유한 함황 다당류의 일종으로, 항 균, 항바이러스 및 항종양 효과와 함께 다양한 경로로 면역력을 향상시키는 생리 기능성물질 로 알려져 있다. 최근 연구에 따르면, 인체 백신 분야에서는 fucoidan의 백신 adjuvant(항원보조 제)로서의 가능성이 제시되었다. 수산업 분야에서는, 보조사료로서의 fucoidan의 기능에 관한 연구는 보고되고 있으나, 수산용 백신 개발을 위한 adjuvant 연구는 전무한 실정이다. 동물세포 에서 fucoidan의 adjuvant에 대한 긍정적인 검토와 함께 안전성을 증명한 연구는 많이 있지만, fucoidan을 어류 백신용 adjuvant로 사용하기 위해서는 어류에서도 이를 확인할 필요가 있다. 또한 fucoidan의 분자량에 따라 세포 내 흡수율이 각기 다르다는 점과 병원체의 인위감염에 따 른 항체 생성을 포함한 어류의 특이면역 반응 시스템에 대한 연구가 많이 부족하다는 제약이 있다. 따라서 이러한 분야에 대한 적극적인 연구가 뒷받침 된다면 안전하고 효과적인 adjuvant 로 사용할 수 있을 것이다. 본 연구에서는 fucoidan이 사람과 동물을 포함하여 어류의 면역자극 즉 체액성 및 세포성 면역에 미치는 영향에 대한 연구를 검토하고, 수산업 분야에서 fucoidan 의 사용과 어류 백신용 adjuvant로서의 가능성을 고찰하였다.

Fucoidan is a sulfated polysaccharide that is purified from brown algae, such as Fucus vesiculosus. This compound has multiple biological activities including immune-stimulating, and anti-viral activities. We recently demonstrated that the cytotoxicity of fucoidan can be dependent on the batch of its production and its molecular weight. In a previous study, fucoidan B exerted cytotoxicity toward mouse spleen cells. To confirm the biological activity of Fucoidan B, we cultured HL-60 cells, a human leukemia cell line, and treated then with fucoidan. The metabolic activity of the HL-60 cells decreased in response to treatment by fucoidan. Moreover, the morphology of HL-60 treated by fucoidan changed. To investigate the fucoidan’s effects, we analyzed the size and level of Annexin V/propidium iodide staining of HL-60 cells using a flow cytometer. Fucoidan consistently induced cell death, including apoptosis of HL-60 cells. As potential mechanisms, fucoidan destabilized the mitochondrial membrane potential and altered the production of reactive oxygen species in HL-60 cells. Taken together, these results suggest that fucoidan has anti-tumor activity on HL-60 cells via destabilization of mitochondrial membrane potential. The present study demonstrates that fucoidan can be used as an anti-cancer agent for leukemia.

Fucoidan is a sulfated polysaccharide, purified from brown algae. It has multiple biological activities including anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory effects. Our previous reports demonstrated that fucoidan can stimulate spleen cells and especially high molecular weight fucoidan is responsible for the immunostimulatory activity. However, we recently found that the activity of fucoidan can be dependent on its individual batch or sources. Four different fucoidans (fucoidan A, fucoidan B, high molecular weight fucoidan, and low molecular weight fucoidan) were used for this study. MTT assay and flow cytometry analysis were performed for analysis of the activity of fucoidan. MTT assay showed that fucoidan B significantly decreased the cellular activity of spleen cells compared to fucoidan A. In addition, fucoidan B consistently killed spleen cells based on the cell size by flow cytometry analysis and the morphology by an inverted microscope. To elucidate the detailed mechanisms of cytotoxicity, fucoidan B-treated spleen cells were stained with Rhodamine 123 solution and Annexin V-FITC/propidium iodide for measurement of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and early/late apoptosis, respectively. From these two assays, fucoidan B decreased the MMP and induced early apoptosis of spleen cells. Taken together, we suggest that different batches or origin of fucoidan may have differential activities on spleen cells, immunostimulatory and cytotoxic activity. The present study may provide some valuable information regarding use of fucoidan in the clinical area and in basic research.

Taxol is an anti-cancer agent that stabilizes the microtubules of cancer cells, resulting in inhibition of mitosis and thus preventing the proliferation of cancer cells. However, many anti-cancer agents including taxol work on normal cells as well as cancer cells, resulting in side effects such as immunosuppression. A marine algae-derived sulfated polysaccharide, fucoidan, an anti-cancer agent, also showed immunostimulating effects. This study investigated the effects of fucoidan on taxol-treated spleen cells. Spleen cells were treated with taxol in a concentration-dependent manner and in combination with fucoidan. MTT assay and flow cytometry analysis were performed to measure the viability and activity of treated cells. Two assays demonstrated that taxol induced the death of spleen cells. Fucoidan clearly inhibited the cell death induced by taxol. In addition, fucoidan enhanced the production of nitric oxide in spleen cells, which was decreased by taxol. Taken together, taxol can induce the cell death of spleen cells, a major type of immune cells and fucoidan protects spleen cells from taxol-induced cell death. This finding suggests that taxol and fucoidan can be used in combination for lowering the immunosuppressive effects of taxol.

본 연구에서는 nicotine 분해에 효과에 대하여 해양식물 유래의 후코이단을 이용하여 시험관에서 직접 혼합법 및 세포주 시험에서 nicotine의 cotinine으로의 전환능을 측정하였다. 직접 혼합법 시험결과, 후코이단 1 μg/mL에서 시간이 경과함에 따라서 nicotine의 cotinine으로의 전환 정도가 대조군 대비 증가하여 시험 종료 시점에서 15배의 증가율을 나타내었다. 세포주을 이용한 nicotine의 분해능 시험 결과, 시험 종료 시점에서 대조군 대비 6배의 cotinine 증가율을 나타내었다. 양성 대조군으로 사용한 녹차 추출물 대비 nicotine 분해능은 우수한 것으로 평가되었다. 그러나 후코이단의 항산화능은 녹차 추출물과 대비하여 낮았으며, 항산화 주요 기능을 갖는 폴리페놀 및 플라보노이드 성분 역시 낮았다. 본 시험 결과가 나타내는 바는 후코이단의 nicotine의 cotinine으로의 전환능에 대한 입증을 하였으며 이는 금연 보조 역할을 할 수 있는 기능성 소재로 사료된다.

Fucoidan has been extensively studied as medicinal materials due to its biological activities including osteoblastic differentiation effect. However, osteoblastic effect by fucoidan is unknown in alveolar bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (ABM-MSCs). The present study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of fucoidan on Osteoblastic differentiation in ABM-MSCs and explore its mechanism. Cell proliferation was analyzed by crystal violet staining. Osteoblast differentiation was determined by alkaline phosphatase activity, calcium accumulation assay and gene expression of osteoblast markers. We found that fucoidan induced cell proliferation of ABM-MSCs. Furthermore, fucoidan increased the ALP activity, calcium accumulation, and osteoblast specific genes such as Runx2, type I collagen alpha 1. Moreover, fucoidan induces the expression of asporin and bone morphogenic protein (BMP)-2 and asporin. Based on these results, these finding indicate that fucoidan induces osteoblast differentiation in ABM-MSCs and partially enhanced the mRNA expression of BMP-2 and asporin.

This study was designed to investigate the effect of fucoidan on the activation of macrophage and on induction of apoptosis in AGS cell. To measure the activity of macrophages, NO and TNF-α assays were performed in Raw 264.7 cell. Treatment with fucoidan significantly increased production of NO and TNF-α, indicating activation of macrophages. The result of MTT assay shows that cell viability was significantly decreased in a dose and time-dependent manner. Fucoidan increased to enhance mitochondrial membrane permeability, as well as the cytochrome c release from the mitochondria. Fucoidan decreased Bcl-2 and XIAP expression, whereas the expression of Bax was increased in a time-dependent manner compared to the control. In addition, the active forms of caspase-9 were increased, and the inactivation of Akt was decreased in a time-dependent manner. Caspase inhibitor, z-VADFMK, canceled the apoptosis of fucoidan, expression of Bax and caspase-9 were decrease. These results indicate that fucoidan induces activation of macrophage and apoptosis through activation of caspase on AGS cell.

This study was carried out to determine the effect of dietary crude fucoidans extracted from brown algae and brown seaweed powder supplementation on performance and bacterial count on feed additives of early broiler chicks. A total 180 broiler chicks were assigned to 4 treatments. Each treatment had 15 chicks with 3 replications. The supplementation levels of fucoidan and brown seaweed powder in the experimental diets were 0.5% (fucoidan), 3.0% (brown seaweed). The results obtained summarized as follows: The body weight gain and weight of chicks fed fucoidan (0.5%) was heavy compared with control. Feed efficiency of chicks fed fucoidan (0.5%) slightly improved compare with control. But also not significantly different among treatments. Gizzard weight, length of small intestine and weight of small intestine were not significantly different among treatments. The villi height of chicks fed fucoidan (0.5%) was long compared with control. According to these data, this trial proves the fucoidan could be successfully used as the dietary supplement.

In this study we investigated the effects of supplementation with fucoidan from brown alga on the function of natural-killer (NK) cells to evaluate the possibility as an immunomodulator in ovariectomized (OVX) rats. A total of 18 female Wistar rats (six weeks) were used this study and 12 rats were OVX, and the rest of rats were sham-operated. The sham and one OVX group were fed standard diet, and the remaining OVX group received fucoidan (0.05% supplemented diet). After 12 weeks of supplementation, rats were sacrificed to assess the tumoricidal activity of the NK cells and the NO-iNOS regulation from splenocytes. The mass of body and the immune organs such as spleen and thymus were also studied. In OVX rats, body and thymus weights increased, however fucoidan supplementation did not change the body mass and organs weight compared to OVX group. Fucoidan supplementation increased NK cell activity and reduced NO-iNOS production in OVX rats. Ex vivo treatment of fucoidan increased NK cell activity in splenocytes from shame and OVX rats. Ex vivo, we confirmed that fucoidan partially reduced the NK cell activity in the presence of iNOS inhibitors in OVX-splenocytes. These results indicate fucoidan supplementation has a NK cell tumoricidal activity, which are regulated by the iNOS production in OVX rats. This suggests that fucoidan is useful for potential therapeutic strategies as a nutrient in regulating the NK cells in postmenopausal osteoporosis patients.