Are multifunctional marine polysaccharides a myth or reality?

Fucoidan, a brown seaweed polysaccharide in nanodrug delivery

Fucoidan-a sulfated marine seaweed obtained from brown algae-has raised considerable interest in the scientific community over the last decade as it possesses a wide range of biological activities such as antioxidant, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, anticoagulant, antithrombotic, anticarcinogenic, and immunoregulatory. This polysaccharide finds application as a drug delivery vehicle due to its non-cytotoxicity, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. Besides, nano biomedical systems have used this marine alga for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Fucoidan has been extensively studied for use in regenerative medicines, in wound healing, and for sustained drug delivery due to its large biodiversity, cost-effectiveness, and mild procedures for extraction and purification. However, the main concern that limits its application is the variance in its batch-to-batch extraction owing to species type, harvesting, and climatic factors. The current review encloses a compendious overview of the origin, chemical structure, and physicochemical and biological properties of fucoidan and its significant role in nanodrug delivery systems. Special emphasis is given to the recent advances in the use of native/modified fucoidan, its combination with chitosan and metal ions for nanodrug delivery applications, especially in cancer treatment. Additionally, use of fucoidan in human clinical trials as a complementary therapeutic agent is also reviewed.

Effect of chitosan-coated Ulva intestinalis sulfated polysaccharide nanoliposome on melanosis and quality of Pacific white shrimp during ice storage

This study investigates chitosan coating containing nanoliposome of Ulva intestinalis sulfated polysaccharide, its effect on melanosis, as well as the quality of Pacific white shrimp during 20 days of storage in ice. The sulfated polysaccharide was extracted from Ulva intestinalis (USP), and its impact on the shrimp's polyphenol oxidase (PPO) enzyme inhibition in different concentrations was measured. The optimum concentration of USP with the highest inhibition percentage was selected and used. USPs were loaded in nanoliposome or coated in chitosan then shrimps were immersed in these coatings. 1.5 % USP showed the highest inhibitory effect of PPO enzyme after 1 and 3 min with values of 63.03 % and 48.74 %. The melanosis of shrimps with different types of USP coating was significantly lower than the control. The lowest color change (ΔE), total viable counts (TVC) bacterial, TVN content, and weight loss were achieved in the Ch-USP treatment. The highest sensory score was found in the Ch-N-USP treatment. This coverage delayed the increase of psychrophilic bacteria (PBC) and chemical tests (TBA, FFA, and PV). Therefore, Ch-USP and Ch-N-USP treatments can be used as a natural substitute for sodium metabisulfite to increase the shelf life and shrimp quality during ice storage.

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.

A Novel Polysaccharide From Chuanminshen violaceum and Its Protective Effect Against Myocardial Injury

We isolated and purified a novel polysaccharide from the root of Chuanminshen violaceum, namely, Chuanminshen violaceumis polysaccharide (CVP) and confirmed its structure and molecular weight. Furthermore, in vivo experiment, CVP’s protective effect against myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury in mice was evidenced by significantly reducing I/R-induced myocardial infarction (MI) size, decreasing the secretion of heart damage biomarkers, and improving cardiac function. Then, the myocardial anoxia/reoxygenation (A/R) injury model was established to mimic reperfusion injury. Noticeably, ferroptosis was the major death manner for A/R-damaged H9c2 cells. Meanwhile, CVP significantly inhibited ferroptosis by decreasing intracellular Fe²⁺ level, enhancing GPX4 expression, and suppressing lipid peroxidation to confront A/R injury. In conclusion, CVP, with a clear structure, ameliorated I/R injury by inhibiting ferroptosis.

Osmundea sp. macroalgal polysaccharide-based nanoparticles produced by flash nanocomplexation technique

The macroalgae-derived polysaccharides' biological potential has been explored due to their attractive intrinsic properties such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, and their ability to conjugate with other compounds. In particular, in the drug delivery systems field, the anionic macroalgae polysaccharides have been combined with cationic compounds through ionotropic gelation and/or bulk mixing. However, these techniques did not assure reproducibility, and the stability of nanoparticles is undesired. To overcome these limitations, herein, the polysaccharide extracted from Osmundea sp. was used to produce nanoparticles through the flash nanocomplexation technique. This approach rapidly mixed the negative charge of macroalgae polysaccharide with a positive chitosan charge on a millisecond timescale. Further, diclofenac (an anti-inflammatory drug) was also incorporated into complex nanoparticles. Overall, the gathered data showed that hydrodynamic diameter nanoparticles values lower than 100 nm, presenting a narrow size distribution and stability. Also, the diclofenac exhibited a targeted and sustained release profile in simulating inflammatory conditions. Likewise, the nanoparticles showed excellent biological properties, evidencing their suitability to be used to treat inflammatory skin diseases.

Marine Algae Metabolites as Promising Therapeutics for the Prevention and Treatment of HIV/AIDS

This review presents an analysis of works devoted to the anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) activity of algae metabolites-sulfated polysaccharides (fucoidans, carrageenans), lectins, laminarans, and polyphenols. Despite the presence of a significant number of antiretroviral drugs, the development of new therapeutic and prophylactic agents against this infection remains very urgent problem. This is due to the variability of HIV, the absence of an animal model (except monkeys) and natural immunity to this virus and the toxicity of therapeutic agents and their high cost. In this regard, the need for new therapeutic approaches and broad-spectrum drugs, which in addition to antiviral effects can have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immunomodulatory effects, and to which the minimum resistance of HIV strains would be formed. These requirements meet the biologically active substances of marine algae. The results of experimental and clinical studies conducted in vitro and in vivo are presented, and the issues of the anti-HIV activity of these compounds are considered depending on their structural features. On the whole, the presented data prove the high efficiency of seaweed metabolites and justify the possibility of their use as a potential basis for the development of new drugs with a wide spectrum of activity.

Biotechnology Potential of Marine Fungi Degrading Plant and Algae Polymeric Substrates

Filamentous fungi possess the metabolic capacity to degrade environment organic matter, much of which is the plant and algae material enriched with the cell wall carbohydrates and polyphenol complexes that frequently can be assimilated by only marine fungi. As the most renewable energy feedstock on the Earth, the plant or algae polymeric substrates induce an expression of microbial extracellular enzymes that catalyze their cleaving up to the component sugars. However, the question of what the marine fungi contributes to the plant and algae material biotransformation processes has yet to be highlighted sufficiently. In this review, we summarized the potential of marine fungi alternatively to terrestrial fungi to produce the biotechnologically valuable extracellular enzymes in response to the plant and macroalgae polymeric substrates as sources of carbon for their bioconversion used for industries and bioremediation.

Fucoidan attenuates angiotensin II-induced abdominal aortic aneurysms through the inhibition of c-Jun N-terminal kinase and nuclear factor κB activation

BACKGROUND

Rupture of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is one of the leading causes of sudden death among the elderly. Most incidental AAAs are below the threshold for intervention at the time of detection; however, there is no evidence that commonly used cardiovascular drugs have clinical beneficial effects on AAA progression. Therefore, in addition to current cardiovascular risk-reducing treatments, an adjunctive medical therapy targeting the regulation of extracellular matrix metabolism is still required in the clinical setting. Fucoidan is an extract of brown seaweed and a sulfated polysaccharide. Emerging evidence suggests that fucoidan has potential cardiovascular applications. Numerous investigations of fucoidan in diseases of the cardiovascular system have mainly focused on its pleiotropic anti-inflammatory effects. Specifically, fucoidan has been shown to have matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-reducing effects in several studies. We aimed to evaluate the beneficial effect of fucoidan on aneurysmal growth in a murine model of aortic aneurysm and further provide a rationale for using fucoidan as a medical adjunctive therapy.

METHODS

A murine model of angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced AAA was used to assess the therapeutic effects of fucoidan on AAA growth in vivo. The characteristics and quantification of AAAs were determined in situ. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells were used for studying the involved pathways in vitro. Western blotting was used to detect the involved signaling pathways both in vivo and in vitro.

RESULTS

Treatment with fucoidan significantly reduced the incidence of AAA formation. Administration of fucoidan significantly attenuated Ang II-induced aortic expansion from 1.56 ± 0.76 mm to 1.09 ± 0.30 mm. Administration of fucoidan significantly suppressed MMP-2 and MMP-9 activities and reduced the grade of elastin degradation in vivo. In vitro, we found that fucoidan could ameliorate the Ang II-induced phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase and nuclear factor κB p65, and it further reduced MMP and reactive oxygen species production.

CONCLUSIONS

Fucoidan inhibits the progression of experimental AAA growth through the attenuation of proinflammatory nuclear factor κB and c-Jun N-terminal kinase activation. Fucoidan could be a potential medical adjunctive therapy for small AAAs.

Fabrication and Cytotoxicity of Fucoidan-Cisplatin Nanoparticles for Macrophage and Tumor Cells

Fucoidan, an anionic, sulfated polysaccharide from brown seaweed, is known to exhibit antitumor and immunomodulatory functions. To develop an immune protection and chemotherapeutic agent, fucoidan-cisplatin nanoparticles (FCNPs) were designed. FCNPs were prepared by mixing cisplatin with fucoidan solution or fucoidan with cisplatin solution, followed by dialysis to remove trace elements. The nanoparticles, comprising 10 mg of fucoidan and 2 mg of cisplatin, which exhibited the highest cisplatin content and loading efficiency during the production process, were named as Fu100Cis20. The cisplatin content, cisplatin loading efficiency, nanoparticle size, and zeta potential of Fu100Cis20 were 18.9% ± 2.7%, 93.3% ± 7.8%, 181.2 ± 21.0 nm, and −67.4 ± 2.3 mV, respectively. Immune protection assay revealed that Fu100Cis20-treated RAW264.7 cells were protected from the cytotoxicity of cisplatin. Furthermore, antitumor assay indicated that Fu100Cis20-treated HCT-8 cells showed stronger cytotoxicity than those treated with cisplatin alone. These results suggested that fucoidan-based nanoparticles exhibited suitable particle size and high drug encapsulation, and that Fu100Cis20 has potential application in both immunotherapy and chemotherapy.

A Review of Current Research into the Biogenic Synthesis of Metal and Metal Oxide Nanoparticles via Marine Algae and Seagrasses

Today there is a growing need to develop reliable, sustainable, and ecofriendly protocols for manufacturing a wide range of metal and metal oxide nanoparticles. The biogenic synthesis of nanoparticles via nanobiotechnology based techniques has the potential to deliver clean manufacturing technologies. These new clean technologies can significantly reduce environmental contamination and decease the hazards to human health resulting from the use of toxic chemicals and solvents currently used in conventional industrial fabrication processes. The largely unexplored marine environment that covers approximately 70% of the earth’s surface is home to many naturally occurring and renewable marine plants. The present review summarizes current research into the biogenic synthesis of metal and metal oxide nanoparticles via marine algae (commonly known as seaweeds) and seagrasses. Both groups of marine plants contain a wide variety of biologically active compounds and secondary metabolites that enables these plants to act as biological factories for the manufacture of metal and metal oxide nanoparticles.

Fucoidans in Nanomedicine

Fucoidans are widespread cost-effective sulfated marine polysaccharides which have raised interest in the scientific community over last decades for their wide spectrum of bioactivities. Unsurprisingly, nanomedicine has grasped these compounds to develop innovative therapeutic and diagnostic nanosystems. The applications of fucoidans in nanomedicine as imaging agents, drug carriers or for their intrinsic properties are reviewed here after a short presentation of the main structural data and biological properties of fucoidans. The origin and the physicochemical specifications of fucoidans are summarized in order to discuss the strategy of fucoidan-containing nanosystems in Human health. Currently, there is a need for reproducible, well characterized fucoidan fractions to ensure significant progress.

Seaweed Polysaccharide-Based Nanoparticles: Preparation and Applications for Drug Delivery

In recent years, there have been major advances and increasing amounts of research on the utilization of natural polymeric materials as drug delivery vehicles due to their biocompatibility and biodegradability. Seaweed polysaccharides are abundant resources and have been extensively studied for several biological, biomedical, and functional food applications. The exploration of seaweed polysaccharides for drug delivery applications is still in its infancy. Alginate, carrageenan, fucoidan, ulvan, and laminarin are polysaccharides commonly isolated from seaweed. These natural polymers can be converted into nanoparticles (NPs) by different types of methods, such as ionic gelation, emulsion, and polyelectrolyte complexing. Ionic gelation and polyelectrolyte complexing are commonly employed by adding cationic molecules to these anionic polymers to produce NPs of a desired shape, size, and charge. In the present review, we have discussed the preparation of seaweed polysaccharide-based NPs using different types of methods as well as their usage as carriers for the delivery of various therapeutic molecules (e.g., proteins, peptides, anti-cancer drugs, and antibiotics). Seaweed polysaccharide-based NPs exhibit suitable particle size, high drug encapsulation, and sustained drug release with high biocompatibility, thereby demonstrating their high potential for safe and efficient drug delivery.

Therapies from Fucoidan: An Update

Fucoidans are a class of sulfated fucose-rich polysaccharides found in brown marine algae and echinoderms. Fucoidans have an attractive array of bioactivities and potential applications including immune modulation, cancer inhibition, and pathogen inhibition. Research into fucoidan has continued to gain pace over the last few years and point towards potential therapeutic or adjunct roles. The source, extraction, characterization and detection of fucoidan is discussed.