Fucoidan-based nanostructures: A focus on its combination with chitosan and the surface functionalization of metallic nanoparticles for drug delivery

Recent advances in fucoidan-based improved delivery systems: Structure, carrier types and biomedical applications

Consumer demand for nutritional supplements has fueled the rapid growth of the functional food market. However, ensuring the stability of functional factors in harsh environments remains a major challenge. The development of encapsulation systems is regarded as an effective method for enhancing the stability of functional factors, encapsulation carriers can offer protection for these functional factors. However, the selection of materials remains a significant constraint in the construction of delivery systems. Therefore, developing new encapsulation materials is crucial for advancing delivery systems, preserving the stability of functional factors, and ensuring public health. Fucoidan, a sulfated marine polysaccharide, has garnered significant attention in the field of encapsulation due to its notable advantages, including its remarkable bioactivity, biocompatibility, and targeted binding properties. Fucoidan-improved delivery systems provide new strategies for encapsulation of functional factors. This review first describes the structure of fucoidan, its modification and lists the applications of modified fucoidan, and assesses its feasibility for enhancing delivery systems. Second, it summarizes several common encapsulation technologies and methods, and outlines various carrier types based on fucoidan. Finally, it elucidates recent advances in the biomedical applications of fucoidan-improved delivery systems. Notably, it also presents the challenges and future prospects of this promising field.

An overview of fucoidan electrospun nanofibers: Fabrication, modification, characterizations and applications

Nanofibers provide tunable attributes which make them promising for various applications. The electrospinning technique provides nanofibers with a large surface area and eases functionalization for various food and pharmaceutical applications. Numerous biopolymers have been employed to produce nanofibers due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, and absorbability. Among different biopolymers, algal polysaccharides have gained much attention. Fucoidan is a sulfated polysaccharide isolated from brown macroalgae with a broad range of biological properties; therefore, it is highly investigated as a functional and therapeutic agent in foods and pharmaceuticals. Thus, different chemical modifications, such as depolymerization, oversulfation, phosphorylation, amination, acetylation, and benzoylation, or conjugation and functionalization with other polymers, have been used to make them desirable for target applications. The present study comprehensively reviews the electrospinning technique, applications, and crosslinking methods, then highlights the fucoidan attributes, fabrication of fucoidan-based electrospun nanofibers, their properties and functionality for food and biomedical applications.

Seaweed-derived laminarin and alginate as potential chemotherapeutical agents: An updated comprehensive review considering cancer treatment

Seaweed-derived bioactive substances such as polysaccharides have proven to be effective chemotherapeutic and chemopreventive agents. Laminarin and alginate antioxidant properties aid in the prevention of cancer through dynamic modulation of critical intracellular signaling pathways via apoptosis which produce low cytotoxicity and potential chemotherapeutic effects. Understanding the effects of laminarin and alginate on human cancer cells and their molecular roles in cell death pathways can help to develop a novel chemoprevention strategy. This review emphasizes the importance of apoptosis-modulating laminarin and alginate in a range of malignancies as well as their extraction, molecular structure, and weight. In addition, future nano-formulation enhancements for greater clinical efficacy are discussed. Laminarin and alginate are perfect ingredients because of their distinct physicochemical and biological characteristics and their use-based delivery systems in cancer. The effectiveness of laminarin and alginate against cancer and more preclinical and clinical trials will open up as new chemotherapeutic natural drugs which lead to established as potential cancer drugs.

Undaria pinnatifida fucoidan extract inhibits activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway by herpes simplex virus type 1 and prevents amyloid-β peptide synthesis in retinal pigment epithelium cells

Neurodegenerative pathologies such as age-related macular degeneration currently have no cure or effective treatment. In this type of disease, the presence of amyloid-β peptides, oxidative stress, and inflammation trigger dysregulation of retinal pigment epithelial cells and progression toward the death of these cells, resulting in a loss of vision. The production of amyloid-β peptides, oxidative stress, and inflammation can be triggered in response to viral infections. Fucoidans are sulfated polysaccharides that are present in the cell walls of brown algae. There is a large body of literature reporting a wide range of biological properties of these compounds. In this study, we investigated whether Undaria pinnatifida fucoidan extract can prevent infection with herpes simplex virus type 1 and if the extract has antioxidant activity. We also evaluated whether, under viral infection conditions, the synthesis of amyloid-β peptide and NF-κB activation could be inhibited by the extract. The results showed for the first time that this extract can prevent viral infection in retinal pigment epithelial cells and that they can prevent the formation of amyloid-β peptide and the activation of the NF-κB pathway during viral infection. We also found that Undaria pinnatifida fucoidan extract has antioxidant activity and reduces the levels of reactive oxygen species. These data suggest that Undaria pinnatifida fucoidan extract might be effective for treating diseases triggered by viral infections, such as degenerative retinal diseases.

Fucoidan based polymeric nanoparticles encapsulating epirubicin: A novel and effective chemotherapeutic formulation against colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common and challenging malignancy that needs some effective and safer chemotherapeutic agents for the treatment. In this study, anticancer agent epirubicin (Epi) was loaded in polymeric polyethylene glycol-polylactic acid-nanoparticles (mPEG-PLA-NPs) coated with a marine anti-cancer non-toxic polysaccharide fucoidan (FC), to achieve a synergistic activity against CRC. The characterization of the NPs revealed that they were spherical, monodispersed, stable, with a negative zeta potential, and exhibited good biocompatibility and controlled release. In vitro anti-cancer activity of the NPs on HCT116 cell line was found to be promising, and corroborated well with in vivo studies involving BALB/C mice injected with C26 murine cancer cells. The outcome of MTT assay demonstrated that IC50 value of free Epi was 3.72 µM, and that of non-coated and coated Epi nano-formulations was 33.67 and 10.19 µM, respectively. Higher tumor regression, better survival and reduced off-side cardiotoxicity were observed when this novel NPs formulation was used to treat tumor-bearing mice. Free FC and Epi treated mice showed 37.73 % and 61.49 % regression in tumor size, whereas there was 79.76 % and 90.34 % tumor regression in mice treated with non-coated Epi NPs and coated Epi NPs, respectively. Therefore, mPEG-PLA-FC-Epi-NPs hold a potential to be used as an effective chemotherapeutic formulation against CRC, since it exhibited better efficacy and lower toxicity.

Development of a pH-Sensitive Nanoparticle via Self-Assembly of Fucoidan and Protamine for the Oral Delivery of Insulin

Objectives: Oral insulin delivery has received much attention over the past 20 years due to its high compliance. The aim of this study is to prepare nanoparticles for the oral delivery of insulin; Methods: Fucoidan and protamine were used to prepare a pH-sensitive nanoparticle via self-assembly. The secondary structure and in vitro stability of the nanoparticles were characterized using FTIR, XRD, ITC, and TEM. the nanoparticles had a controlled release effect on insulin in simulated intestinal fluid. The pre-liminary therapeutic effect on high-fat-fed type 2 diabetic mice; Results: When the fucoidan/protamine mass ratio was 10:3 (w/w), the particle size and zeta potential were 140.83 ± 1.64 nm and -48.13 ± 0.61 mV.The encapsulation efficiency of insulin was 62.97 ± 0.59%. The preliminary therapeutic effect on type 2 diabetic mice showed that the fasting blood glucose of diabetic mice decreased from 10.28 ± 0.88 mmol/L to 9.22 ± 0.64 mmol/L, the area under the curve value of oral glucose tolerance test was reduced by 11.70%, and the insulin se-cretion of diabetic mice was increased by 13.3%; Conclusions: The nanoparticles were prepared successfully by self-assembly. The empty and insulin-loaded nanoparticles remained stable in simulated gastric fluid, and the nanoparticles had a controlled release effect on insulin in simulated intestinal fluid. Moreover, insulin-loaded nanoparticles could relieve on type 2 diabetic mice.

Recent Trends in Chemical Sensors for Detecting Toxic Materials

Industrial development has led to the widespread production of toxic materials, including carcinogenic, mutagenic, and toxic chemicals. Even with strict management and control measures, such materials still pose threats to human health. Therefore, convenient chemical sensors are required for toxic chemical monitoring, such as optical, electrochemical, nanomaterial-based, and biological-system-based sensors. Many existing and new chemical sensors have been developed, as well as new methods based on novel technologies for detecting toxic materials. The emergence of material sciences and advanced technologies for fabrication and signal-transducing processes has led to substantial improvements in the sensing elements for target recognition and signal-transducing elements for reporting interactions between targets and sensing elements. Many excellent reviews have effectively summarized the general principles and applications of different types of chemical sensors. Therefore, this review focuses on chemical sensor advancements in terms of the sensing and signal-transducing elements, as well as more recent achievements in chemical sensors for toxic material detection. We also discuss recent trends in biosensors for the detection of toxic materials.

Nano-Sized Fucoidan Interpolyelectrolyte Complexes: Recent Advances in Design and Prospects for Biomedical Applications

The marine polysaccharide fucoidan (FUC) is a promising polymer for pharmaceutical research and development of novel drug delivery systems with modified release and targeted delivery. The presence of a sulfate group in the polysaccharide makes FUC an excellent candidate for the formation of interpolyelectrolyte complexes (PECs) with various polycations. However, due to the structural diversity of FUC, the design of FUC-based nanoformulations is challenging. This review describes the main strategies for the use of FUC-based PECs to develop drug delivery systems with improved biopharmaceutical properties, including nanocarriers in the form of FUC-chitosan PECs for pH-sensitive oral delivery, targeted delivery systems, and polymeric nanoparticles for improved hydrophobic drug delivery (e.g., FUC-zein PECs, core-shell structures obtained by the layer-by-layer self-assembly method, and self-assembled hydrophobically modified FUC particles). The importance of a complex study of the FUC structure, and the formation process of PECs based on it for obtaining reproducible polymeric nanoformulations with the desired properties, is also discussed.

Seaweed-Derived Sulfated Polysaccharides; The New Age Chemopreventives: A Comprehensive Review

Seaweed-derived bioactive compounds are regularly employed to treat human diseases. Sulfated polysaccharides are potent chemotherapeutic or chemopreventive medications since it has been discovered. They have exhibited anti-cancer properties by enhancing immunity and driving apoptosis. Through dynamic modulation of critical intracellular signalling pathways, such as control of ROS generation and preservation of essential cell survival and death processes, sulfated polysaccharides' antioxidant and immunomodulatory potentials contribute to their disease-preventive effectiveness. Sulfated polysaccharides provide low cytotoxicity and good efficacy therapeutic outcomes via dynamic modulation of apoptosis in cancer. Understanding how sulfated polysaccharides affect human cancer cells and their molecular involvement in cell death pathways will showcase a new way of chemoprevention. In this review, the significance of apoptosis and autophagy-modulating sulfated polysaccharides has been emphasized, as well as the future direction of enhanced nano-formulation for greater clinical efficacy. Moreover, this review focuses on the recent findings about the possible mechanisms of chemotherapeutic use of sulfated polysaccharides, their potential as anti-cancer drugs, and proposed mechanisms of action to drive apoptosis in diverse malignancies. Because of their unique physicochemical and biological properties, sulfated polysaccharides are ideal for their bioactive ingredients, which can improve function and application in disease. However, there is a gap in the literature regarding the physicochemical properties and functionalities of sulfated polysaccharides and the use of sulfated polysaccharide-based delivery systems in functional cancer. Furthermore, the preclinical and clinical trials will reveal the drug's efficacy in cancer.

Fucoidan-ferulic acid nanoparticles alleviate cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury by inhibiting the cGAS-STING pathway

Fucoidan (FU) is a natural sulfated polysaccharide with certain biological activity and has been shown to be an excellent nano-delivery material. In this study, ferulic acid (FA)-loaded FU nanoparticles (FA/FU NPs) were prepared and their nephroprotective mechanism was investigated. With a particle size of 158.6 ± 4.5 nm, FA/FU NPs increased the antioxidant activity of FA in vitro, possibly related to the increased dispersity of FA. In vitro results demonstrated that FA/FU NPs significantly protected human renal proximal tubule (HK-2) cells from cisplatin-induced damage, possibly by suppressing cisplatin-induced DNA damage and activating the cGAS-STING pathway. Furthermore, in vivo experiments confirmed that FA/FU NPs protected mice from cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury (AKI). Mechanistic studies confirmed that FA/FU NPs exerted nephroprotective effects by reducing MDA activity and increasing GSH and SOD activity. Our results demonstrated the potential of FU for delivering poorly soluble drug FA and protecting against cisplatin-induced AKI.

Fucoidan-based nanoparticles: Preparations and applications

Nanoparticle-based therapy has gained much attention in the pharmaceutical industry. Fucoidan is a sulfated polysaccharide naturally derived from marine brown algae and is widely used for medical applications. We explore preparation of fucoidan-based nanoparticles and their biomedical applications in the current review. The fucoidan-based nanoparticles have been synthesized using microwave, emulsion, solvent evaporation, green synthesis, polyelectrolyte self-assembly, precipitation, and ultrasonication methods. The synthesized nanoparticles have particle sizes ranging from 100 to 400 nm. Therefore, fucoidan-based nanoparticles have a variety of potential therapeutic applications, including drug delivery, cancer therapies, tissue engineering, antimicrobial applications, magnetic resonance imaging contrast, and atherothrombosis imaging. For example, fucoidan nanoparticles have been used to deliver curcumin, dextran, gentamicin, epigallocatechin gallate, and cisplatin for cancer therapies. Furthermore, fucoidan nanoparticles coupled with metal nanoparticles have been used to target and recognize clinical conditions for diagnostic purposes. Hence, fucoidan-based nanoparticles have been helpful for biomedical applications.

Merging data curation and machine learning to improve nanomedicines

Nanomedicine design is often a trial-and-error process, and the optimization of formulations and in vivo properties requires tremendous benchwork. To expedite the nanomedicine research progress, data science is steadily gaining importance in the field of nanomedicine. Recently, efforts have explored the potential to predict nanomaterials synthesis and biological behaviors via advanced data analytics. Machine learning algorithms process large datasets to understand and predict various material properties in nanomedicine synthesis, pharmacologic parameters, and efficacy. "Big data" approaches may enable even larger advances, especially if researchers capitalize on data curation methods. However, the concomitant use of data curation processes needed to facilitate the acquisition and standardization of large, heterogeneous data sets, to support advanced data analytics methods such as machine learning has yet to be leveraged. Currently, data curation and data analytics areas of nanotechnology-focused data science, or 'nanoinformatics', have been proceeding largely independently. This review highlights the current efforts in both areas and the potential opportunities for coordination to advance the capabilities of data analytics in nanomedicine.

Physicochemical properties of fucoidan and its applications as building blocks of nutraceutical delivery systems

Many bioactive ingredients with health effects such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective possess low bioavailability due to poor solubility and sensitivity. Fucoidan is an ideal material for encapsulating bioactive ingredients because of its unique physicochemical and biological properties, which can improve the function and application of bioactive ingredients. Nevertheless, there is still a lack of review about the physicochemical properties as well as functionalities of fucoidan and the application of fucoidan-based delivery systems in functional food. Hence, in this review, recent advances on the structure, chemical modification, physicochemical properties and biological activity of fucoidan are summarized. This review systematacially describes the recent update on the fucoidan as a wall material for delivering nutraceuticals with a broad discussion on various types of delivery systems ranging from nanoparticles, nanoparticle/bead complexes, emulsions, edible films, nanocapsules and hydrogels. Futhermore, the technical scientific issues of the application of fucoidan in the field of food are emphasized. On the basis of more comprehensive and deeper understandings, the review ends with a concluding remark on future directions of fucoidan-based delivery systems for purposes. Novel fucoidan-based delivery systems such as aerogels, Pickering emulsions, emulsion-filled-hydrogels, liposomes-in-fucoidan, co-delivery systems of bioactive igredients can be designed.

Blueberry Supplementation in Neuronal Health and Protective Technologies for Efficient Delivery of Blueberry Anthocyanins

Blueberries are consumed as healthy fruits that provide a variety of benefits to the nervous system. Scientists have found that blueberries can be used as a daily edible source for supplementation to prevent and minimize complexities of age-related diseases as well as to improve learning and memory in children. Anthocyanins are the most mentioned compounds among the components in blueberries, as they play a major role in providing the health benefits of this fruit. However, while they are highly active in impeding biological impairment in neuronal functions, they have poor bioavailability. This review focuses on neurological investigations of blueberries from in vitro cell studies to in vivo studies, including animal and human studies, with respect to their positive outcomes of neuroprotection and intervention in neurodegenerative conditions. Readers will also find information on the bioavailability of anthocyanins and the considerable factors affecting them so that they can make informed decisions regarding the daily consumption of blueberries. In this context, the ways in which blueberries or blueberry supplementation forms are consumed and which of these forms is best for maximizing the health benefits of blueberries should be considered important decision-making factors in the consumption of blueberries; all of these aspects are covered in this review. Finally, we discuss recent technologies that have been employed to improve the bioavailability of blueberry anthocyanins in the development of effective delivery vehicles supporting brain health.

Intra-articular injection of anti-inflammatory peptide-loaded glycol chitosan/fucoidan nanogels to inhibit inflammation and attenuate osteoarthritis progression

Glycol chitosan/fucoidan nanogels loaded with anti-inflammatory peptide KAFAK (GC/Fu@KAFAK NGs) were fabricated based on the electrostatic interaction and genipin cross-linking methods. The prepared NGs had an average size of 286.3 ± 5.0 nm and positive surface charge of 14.0 ± 0.2 mV. The anti-inflammatory and chondro-protective effects of GC/Fu@KAFAK NGs were evaluated on interlecukin-1β (IL-1β)-stimulated rat chondrocytes. We found that GC/Fu@KAFAK NGs not only inhibited the expression of inflammatory factors interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), but also enhanced the expression of chondrogenic markers type II collagen, aggrecan, and Sox9. More importantly, in rat osteoarthritis (OA) model, the intra-articular (IA) injection of GC/Fu@KAFAK NGs reduced glycosaminoglycan loss and diminished inflammatory cytokine release. In addition, GC/Fu@KAFAK NGs showed good biocompatibility both in vitro and in vivo. In conclusion, IA inject-able GC/Fu@KAFAK NGs might have great potential in OA treatment.

Progress in Modern Marine Biomaterials Research

The growing demand for new, sophisticated, multifunctional materials has brought natural structural composites into focus, since they underwent a substantial optimization during long evolutionary selection pressure and adaptation processes. Marine biological materials are the most important sources of both inspiration for biomimetics and of raw materials for practical applications in technology and biomedicine. The use of marine natural products as multifunctional biomaterials is currently undergoing a renaissance in the modern materials science. The diversity of marine biomaterials, their forms and fields of application are highlighted in this review. We will discuss the challenges, solutions, and future directions of modern marine biomaterialogy using a thorough analysis of scientific sources over the past ten years.

Developmental Strategies of Curcumin Solid Dispersions for Enhancing Bioavailability

BACKGROUND

Although curcumin has been demonstrated to be beneficial in treating various diseases, its low solubility, chemical stability and bioavailability limit its application, especially in cancer therapy.

METHODS

Solid dispersions have been utilized in the last few decades to improve the bioavailability and stability of curcumin.

RESULTS

However, there is a lack of summaries and classifications of the methods for preparing curcumin with this technology. The current review aims to overview the strategies used to develop solid dispersions containing curcumin for improving drug delivery. The classification of techniques for creating solid dispersions for curcumin was summarized, including systems for protecting curcumin degradation despite its chemical stability. The applications of advanced nanotechnologies in recent studies of solid dispersions were also discussed to explain the roles of nanoparticles in formulations.

CONCLUSION

This overview of recent developments in formulating solid dispersions for improving curcumin bioavailability will contribute to future studies of curcumin for clinical development.

Fucoidans: Downstream Processes and Recent Applications

Fucoidans are multifunctional marine macromolecules that are subjected to numerous and various downstream processes during their production. These processes were considered the most important abiotic factors affecting fucoidan chemical skeletons, quality, physicochemical properties, biological properties and industrial applications. Since a universal protocol for fucoidans production has not been established yet, all the currently used processes were presented and justified. The current article complements our previous articles in the fucoidans field, provides an updated overview regarding the different downstream processes, including pre-treatment, extraction, purification and enzymatic modification processes, and shows the recent non-traditional applications of fucoidans in relation to their characters.