Prospects for the therapeutic application of sulfated polysaccharides of brown algae in diseases of the cardiovascular system: review

CONTEXT

Fucoidans are water-soluble, highly sulfated, branched homo- and hetero-polysaccharides derived from the fibrillar cell walls and intercellular spaces of brown seaweeds of the class Phaeophyceae. Fucoidans possess mimetic properties of the natural ligands of protein receptors and regulate functions of biological systems via key signaling molecules.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this review was to collect and combine all available scientific literature about the potential use of the fucoidans for diseases of cardiovascular system.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The review has been compiled using references from major databases such as Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, Elsevier, Springer and Google Scholar (up to September 2015). After obtaining all reports from database (a total number is about 580), the papers were carefully analyzed in order to find data related to the topic of this review (129 references).

RESULTS

An exhaustive survey of literature revealed that fucoidans possess a broad spectrum of biological activity, including anti-coagulant, hypolipidemic, anti-thrombotic, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, anti-tumor, anti-adhesive and anti-hypertensive properties. Numerous investigations of fucoidans in diseases of the cardiovascular system mainly focus on pleiotropic anti-inflammatory effects. Fucoidans also possess pro-angiogenic and pro-vasculogenic properties.

CONCLUSION

A great number of investigations in the past years have demonstrated that fucoidans has great potential for in-depth investigation of their effects on cardiovascular system. Through this review, the authors hope to attract the attention of researchers to use fucoidan as mimetic of natural ligand receptor protein with the view of developing new formulations with an improved therapeutic value.

Structure, biological activity, and enzymatic transformation of fucoidans from the brown seaweeds

Recent advances in the study of fucoidans, biologically active sulfated alpha-L-fucans of diverse structures and synthesized exclusively by marine organisms, are overviewed. Their structure, biological activity, the products of their enzymatic degradation and the different enzymes of degradation and modification are considered.

Sensitization of human malignant lymphoid cells to etoposide by fucoidan, a brown seaweed polysaccharide

The search for the substances sensitizing cancer cells to apoptosis induction by chemotherapeutic agents is a task of high importance in the modern strategy of anticancer therapy. THE AIM of the study was to investigate the apoptogenic and apoptosis-modulating activities of fucoidan (sulfated polysaccharide) isolated from far-eastern brown seaweeds Fucus evanescens in two human malignant lymphoid cell lines, MT-4 and Namalwa.

METHODS

Apoptosis was assessed morphologically and quantified by flow cytometry analysis of cells stained with propidium iodide. Caspase-3 activation was assayed by flow cytometry with the aid of labeled monoclonal antibodies.

RESULTS

The fucoidan at 500 microg/ml was not cytotoxic in MT-4 or Namalwa cells even in the setting of long-term presence in culture medium up to 14 days. Nevertheless, pretreatment of MT-4 but not Namalwa cells with fucoidan followed by the exposure to DNA topoisomerase II inhibitor etoposide led to about two-fold increase in the relative apoptotic index as compared with etoposide alone. Apoptosis enhancement of MT-4 cells by fucoidan was not accompanied by further increase in the number of the cells with active form of caspase-3.

CONCLUSION

The present findings demonstrate for the first time that fucoidan enhances etoposide induced caspase-dependent cell death pathway in MT-4 but not Namalwa cell line. The mechanisms of such enhancement do not seem to be related directly to caspase-3 activation.