The anti-cancer effects of fucoidan: a review of both in vivo and in vitro investigations

Abstract

Fucoidan is a kind of the polysaccharide, which comes from brown algae and comprises of sulfated fucose residues. It has shown a large range of biological activities in basic researches, including many elements like anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-viral, anti-oxidation, anticoagulant, antithrombotic, anti-angiogenic and anti-Helicobacter pylori, etc. Cancer is a multifactorial disease of multiple causes. Most of the current chemotherapy drugs for cancer therapy are projected to eliminate the ordinary deregulation mechanisms in cancer cells. Plenty of wholesome tissues, however, are also influenced by these chemical cytotoxic effects. Existing researches have demonstrated that fucoidan can directly exert the anti-cancer actions through cell cycle arrest, induction of apoptosis, etc., and can also indirectly kill cancer cells by activating natural killer cells, macrophages, etc. Fucoidan is used as a new anti-tumor drug or as an adjuvant in combination with an anti-tumor drug because of its high biological activity, wide source, low resistance to drug resistance and low side effects. This paper reviews the mechanism by which fucoidan can eliminate tumor cells, delay tumor growth and synergize with anticancer chemotherapy drugs in vitro, in vivo and in clinical trials.

Immunomodulatory and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Fucoidan: A Review

“…Fucoidans obtained from other Fucus species ( F. evanescens , F. distinchus , F. serratus ) have additional acetate groups and small amounts of xylose and galactose. Moreover, the sulfate groups can appear not only on C-4 but also in positions 2 and 3 or including sometimes 2,4-disulfated fucoidans ( Figure 2 ) [ 12 , 21 , 22 ].…”

“… Fucoidans with α -(1→3) linked l -fucose residues ( I ) or alternating α -(1→3) and α -(1→4) linked l -fucoses ( II ). R represents the possible attachments of carbohydrate and noncarbohydrate substituents (sulfate and acetyl groups) [ 22 ]. …”

Present Status, Limitations and Future Directions of Treatment Strategies Using Fucoidan-Based Therapies in Bladder Cancer

“…While discussing the anti-cancer effects and clinical usefulness of fucoidan in cancer therapy, special attention must be paid to its species, extraction methods, administration methods, and harvesting seasons. Briefly, bioactivities, including the anti-cancer effects of fucoidan, depend on these internal and external factors [10,15,63,[96][97][98].…”

“…Additionally, fucoidan has been favored owing to its low toxicity in vivo, including in humans [9,10]. Furthermore, there is a general agreement that fucoidan exerts anti-cancer effects by regulating tumor growth, cancer cell apoptosis, invasion, metastasis, cell cycle, tumor angiogenesis, and immune reactivities in various types of malignancies [5,[11][12][13][14][15]. Numerous factors and molecules have been reported in in vivo and in vitro studies as part of the molecular mechanisms underlying the anti-cancer properties of fucoidan.…”

Marine Anticancer Agents: An Overview with a Particular Focus on Their Chemical Classes

“…Many studies report its anticancer effect in various tumor cells [210][211][212][213][214][215] and fucoidan is undergoing clinical evaluation in phase II. The exact mechanism of action of fucoidan has not been defined yet, although data support both a direct and indirect anti-cancer activity, mediated at least in part by the inhibition of p38 MAPK and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways [216][217][218]. Among the sulfated polysaccharide that have shown anti-tumor activity in minor preclinical studies are: B-1, isolated from the culture of marine Pseudomonas sp.…”