Fucoidan Inhibition of Osteosarcoma Cells is Species and Molecular Weight Dependent

Abstract

Fucoidan is a brown algae-derived polysaccharide having several biomedical applications. This study simultaneously compares the anticancer activities of crude fucoidans from Fucus vesiculosus and Sargassum filipendula, and effects of low (LMW, 10-50kDa), medium (MMW, 50-100kDa) and high (HMW, >100kDa) molecular weight fractions of S. filipendula fucoidan against osteosarcoma cells. Glucose, fucose and acid levels were lower and sulphation was higher in F. vesiculosus crude fucoidan compared to S. filipendula crude fucoidan. MMW had highest the levels of sugars, acids and sulphation among molecular weight fractions. There was a dose dependent drop in focal adhesion formation and proliferation of cells for all fucoidan-types, but F. vesiculosus fucoidan and HMW had the strongest effects. G1-phase arrest was induced by F. vesiculosus fucoidan, MMW and HMW, however F. vesiculosus fucoidan treatment also caused accumulation in sub G1-phase. Mitochondrial damage occurred for all fucoidan-types, however F. vesiculosus fucoidan led to mitochondrial fragmentation. Annexin V/PI, TUNEL and cytochrome c staining confirmed stress induced apoptosis-like cell death for F. vesiculosus fucoidan but features of stress-induced necrosis-like cell death for S. filipendula fucoidans. There was also variation in penetrability of different fucoidans inside the cell. These differences in anti-cancer activity of fucoidans are applicable for osteosarcoma treatment.

Influence of Fucoidan Extracts from Different Fucus Species on Adult Stem Cells and Molecular Mediators in In Vitro Models for Bone Formation and Vascularization

“…All tested extracts resembled mainly HMW fucoidan but with variations in the molecular weight. A recent study by Gupta et al showed antiproliferative effects of fucoidans on the osteosarcoma cell line MG63 depending on the species and molecular weight, resulting in the G1 arrest for high and medium molecular weight fucoidan treated cells [ 50 ]. Although MSC used in this present study proliferate more slowly compared to MG63, we observed to some extent similar effects for MSC, indicating that high molecular weight fucoidan may impair osteogenic cells’ metabolic activity and proliferation.…”

The Structural Characteristics of Seaweed Polysaccharides and Their Application in Gel Drug Delivery Systems

“…The analysis of glycosidic bonds showed that (1,3)-α-1-ethyl fuco-pyranose (31.9%) was the main residue, followed by 1,2-linked (13.2%) and 1,4-linked (7.7%) fucose and highly branched (22.4%). A large number of studies have shown that fucoidan induces cytotoxicity towards various types of cancer cell, induces apoptosis and inhibits the invasion, metastasis and angiogenesis of cancer cells [ 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 ]. Damonte et al discussed the structure of alginate in detail along with its biological functions in the mechanisms of apoptosis, invasion, metastasis, angiogenesis and the growth and signaling of cancer cell growth, which proved the medicinal value of these alginoglycans [ 59 ].…”