Anticancer Effects of Fucoxanthin through Cell Cycle Arrest, Apoptosis Induction, Angiogenesis Inhibition, and Autophagy Modulation

Abstract

Cancer accounts for one in seven deaths worldwide and is the second leading cause of death in the United States, after heart disease. One of the standard cancer treatments is chemotherapy which sometimes can lead to chemoresistance and treatment failure. Therefore, there is a great need for novel therapeutic approaches to treat these patients. Novel natural products have exhibited anticancer effects that may be beneficial in treating many kinds of cancer, having fewer side effects, low toxicity, and affordability. Numerous marine natural compounds have been found to inhibit molecular events and signaling pathways associated with various stages of cancer development. Fucoxanthin is a well-known marine carotenoid of the xanthophyll family with bioactive compounds. It is profusely found in brown seaweeds, providing more than 10% of the total creation of natural carotenoids. Fucoxanthin is found in edible brown seaweed macroalgae such as Undaria pinnatifida, Laminaria japonica, and Eisenia bicyclis. Many of fucoxanthin's pharmacological properties include antioxidant, anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, antiobesity, anticancer, and antihypertensive effects. Fucoxanthin inhibits many cancer cell lines' proliferation, angiogenesis, migration, invasion, and metastasis. In addition, it modulates miRNA and induces cell cycle growth arrest, apoptosis, and autophagy. Moreover, the literature shows fucoxanthin's ability to inhibit cytokines and growth factors such as TNF-α and VEGF, which stimulates the activation of downstream signaling pathways such as PI3K/Akt autophagy, and pathways of apoptosis. This review highlights the different critical mechanisms by which fucoxanthin inhibits diverse cancer types, such as breast, prostate, gastric, lung, and bladder development and progression. Moreover, this article reviews the existing literature and provides critical supportive evidence for fucoxanthin's possible therapeutic use in cancer.

The Anticancer Effects of Marine Carotenoid Fucoxanthin through Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase (PI3K)-AKT Signaling on Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells

“…In MDA-MB-468 cells, the FC for the significantly upregulated gene was EIF4EBP1 (+2. 16). The FCs for MDA-MB-468 downregulated genes were shown to be FOXO1 (−1.…”

Fucoxanthin induces human melanoma cytotoxicity by thwarting the JAK2/STAT3/BCL‐xL signaling axis

“…19 After ingestion, Fucoxanthin is absorbed in the intestine, metabolized into Fucoxanthinol, and further transformed into Amarouciaxanthin A in the liver. 20,21 Accumulating evidence has revealed Fucoxanthin's diverse health-beneficial activities, including anti-angiogenic, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory anti-obesity, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, and anti-cancer 17,22,23 (and the references therein). Intriguingly, the precise impact of Fucoxanthin on human melanoma and its mechanisms of anti-melanoma action remain elusive.…”

Skeletonema marinoi Extracts and Associated Carotenoid Fucoxanthin Downregulate Pro-Angiogenic Mediators on Prostate Cancer and Endothelial Cells

“…Skeletonema marinoi ( Sm ), a temperate coastal marine diatom, has been recently proposed as a valid source of bioactive molecules. Diatoms contain several moieties of interest for human health, among them carotenoids, including fucoxanthin (Fuco) [ 11 , 28 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 ], diatoxanthin, and other pigments [ 34 , 35 , 36 ].…”

“…Fuco represents the most abundant carotenoid contained in diatoms such as Sm and can be also isolated from brown seaweeds for human consumption [ 33 ]. Numerous studies have reported that Fuco has biological properties, acting as an anti-obesity, anti-diabetes, anti-oxidant, and anti-inflammatory molecule, and it also has cardiovascular and cerebrovascular protective effects [ 37 ].…”

“…Although prostate cancer (PCa) is a valid candidate for chemopreventive and nutritional interventions, only about ten/fifteen papers are available from the last 10 years studying the effects of Fuco on PCa. However, Fuco’s potential anti-cancer properties against other cancers have been reported [ 33 ].…”