Biological Activities of Fucoidan and the Factors Mediating Its Therapeutic Effects: A Review of Recent Studies

Abstract

The marine acid polysaccharide fucoidan has attracted attention from both the food and pharmaceutical industries due to its promising therapeutic effects. Fucoidan is a polysaccharide that mainly consists of L-fucose and sulphate groups. Its excellent biological function is attributed to its unique biological structure. Classical activities include antitumor, antioxidant, anticoagulant, antithrombotic, immunoregulatory, antiviral and anti-inflammatory effects. More recently, fucoidan has been shown to alleviate metabolic syndrome, protect the gastrointestinal tract, benefit angiogenesis and bone health. This review focuses on the progress in our understanding of the biological activities of fucoidan, highlighting its benefits for the treatment of human disease. We hope that this review can provide some theoretical basis and inspiration for the product development of fucoidan.

Fucoidan Ameliorates Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, DNA Damage, and Hepatorenal Injuries in Diabetic Rats Intoxicated with Aflatoxin B1

“…Similarly, FUC improved the liver functions in carbon tetrachloride, microcystin, and diazinon-induced hepatorenal injuries in murine models [55][56][57] and lowered serum AST and ALT activities in hepatitis C virus-infected subjects [58]. These effects may be explained by FUC antioxidant activity as evidenced by alleviated lipid oxidation and enhancement of the antioxidant defense system in the liver and kidneys (Tables 2 and 3) and [14,55]. These results were in accordance with previous published investigations.…”

“…Fucoidans (FUCs) are highly sulfated polysaccharides, isolated from the cell walls of various species of brown seaweeds, such as Saccharina japonica, Undaria pinnatifida, and Sargassum hemiphyllum, and some animal species as sea cucumber [13]. In vitro and in vivo studies showed that FUCs have various biological activities such as hypoglycemic, nephroprotective, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticoagulant, and antiviral effects [14,15]. Many strategies are used to inhibit the development and progression of DM which rely on alleviating oxidative stress and inflammation [16].…”

The Effect of Increasing Inclusion Levels of a Fucoidan-Rich Extract Derived from Ascophyllum nodosum on Growth Performance and Aspects of Intestinal Health of Pigs Post-Weaning

“…The pig is a commonly used model for studying the effects of dietary supplements within the gastrointestinal tract due to its anatomical, physiological and functional similarities with humans [39]. As fucoidan is widely investigated for use in the prevention/treatment of metabolic syndromes, including obesity and diabetes (Wang, et al [40]), the results from this study may provide relevant information for future studies. In this study, the fucoidan rich extract reduced the ileal expression of FABP2.…”

“…Furthermore, short term dietary supplementation with an inulin propionate ester increased PYY and GLP-1 secretion in the colon and reduced feed intake, while long term supplementation reduced weight gain and intra-abdominal fat deposition in overweight adults [42]. It has also been suggested that fucoidan can influence glucose metabolism [40]. As mentioned above, the gene expression of SI and SGLT1 were downregulated in pigs supplemented with a fucoidan-rich extract, indicating fucoidan may have the potential to reduce the accessibility of dietary carbohydrates.…”

Marine Algal Antioxidants as Potential Vectors for Controlling Viral Diseases

“…This property led to attachment of fucoidan to the F0 protein resulting in a great antiviral potency of fucoidan, e.g., higher than the antiviral drug ribavirin [83]. Last but not least, fucoidans also display bioactivity on the immune system at cellular and humoral level by increasing macrophage phagocytosis [84]. The glucan laminaran, one of the most common polysaccharides in brown algae, exhibits a great antiviral activity and low toxicity in vivo [78].…”