from Fucus vesiculosus, however, and research on the bioactivity of fucoidans
currently sold as health food ingredients is lacking.
In particular, the bioactivity of orally administered fucoidans has received scant
research attention. Proving the usefulness of fucoidans as a health food ingredient
will require investigation of their bioactivity when administered orally.
This section will describe the bioactivity of fucoidans (particularly those from
Kagome seaweed) when orally administered.
Because the sugar chain structure, sulfation group content, and other chemical
structure differs markedly depending on which seaweed the fucoidan derives from,
as do the components possessed by each seaweed, it cannot be concluded that
fucoidans from differing seaweeds possess the same activity. Determining which
activities are exhibited by which seaweed’s fucoidans is thus of crucial importance
when using fucoidans in health food product design.
(1) Tumor Growth Suppression and Extending Lifespans in Animals with Gallbladder Cancer
When given food including 0.7% fucoidans for a period of four weeks, mice
implanted with the sarcoma 180 tumor showed tumor growth suppression of 54%
compared to mice given food without added fucoidans. Rats with cancer chemically
induced by continuous subcutaneous administration of azoxy methane similar
showed a 52-week survival rate of 79% when given water with 0.4% Kagome
seaweed-derived fucoidans added to drink freely, compared to 47% for the group
drinking water without added fucoidans.
Addition of Kagome seaweed-derived fucoidans together with Meth A sarcoma
cell antibodies to a medium of cultured spleen lympoctyes extracted from mice
inoculated with Meth A resulted in a capacity-dependent increase in production of
interferon c and interleukin 12. This means that when the cytokines are produced
within the bodies of animals with gallbladder cancer, this results in activation of
cytoxic T cells, natural killer cells, and macrophages that can kill cancer cells
(Chevolot et al. 2001; Duarte et al. 2001; Ponce et al. 2003; Cumashi et al. 2007;
Kusaykin et al. 2008; Yang et al. 2008; Ermakova et al. 2011; Vo and Kim 2013).
(2) Suppression of Allergic Reactions
The allergic reaction suppression effects of Kagome seaweed-derived fucoidans
were evaluated on adrenal cortex anaphylaxis model rats with egg albumin as an
antigen. Preventive effects were observed in a line of rats that began receiving a 1%
fucoidan solution seven days before the albumin was administered to their
abdominal cavity. Treatment effects were observed by beginning fucoidan administration under identical conditions 19 days after the albumin was administered. In
both groups, marked suppression was observed in production of immunoglobin E in
the blood, which is the trigger for allergic reactions.
Oral administration of Kagome seaweed-derived fucoidans may thus have both
preventive and therapeutic allergic reaction suppression effects.
6.8 Industrial Applications of Seaweeds
191
currently sold as health food ingredients is lacking.
In particular, the bioactivity of orally administered fucoidans has received scant
research attention. Proving the usefulness of fucoidans as a health food ingredient
will require investigation of their bioactivity when administered orally.
This section will describe the bioactivity of fucoidans (particularly those from
Kagome seaweed) when orally administered.
Because the sugar chain structure, sulfation group content, and other chemical
structure differs markedly depending on which seaweed the fucoidan derives from,
as do the components possessed by each seaweed, it cannot be concluded that
fucoidans from differing seaweeds possess the same activity. Determining which
activities are exhibited by which seaweed’s fucoidans is thus of crucial importance
when using fucoidans in health food product design.
(1) Tumor Growth Suppression and Extending Lifespans in Animals with Gallbladder Cancer
When given food including 0.7% fucoidans for a period of four weeks, mice
implanted with the sarcoma 180 tumor showed tumor growth suppression of 54%
compared to mice given food without added fucoidans. Rats with cancer chemically
induced by continuous subcutaneous administration of azoxy methane similar
showed a 52-week survival rate of 79% when given water with 0.4% Kagome
seaweed-derived fucoidans added to drink freely, compared to 47% for the group
drinking water without added fucoidans.
Addition of Kagome seaweed-derived fucoidans together with Meth A sarcoma
cell antibodies to a medium of cultured spleen lympoctyes extracted from mice
inoculated with Meth A resulted in a capacity-dependent increase in production of
interferon c and interleukin 12. This means that when the cytokines are produced
within the bodies of animals with gallbladder cancer, this results in activation of
cytoxic T cells, natural killer cells, and macrophages that can kill cancer cells
(Chevolot et al. 2001; Duarte et al. 2001; Ponce et al. 2003; Cumashi et al. 2007;
Kusaykin et al. 2008; Yang et al. 2008; Ermakova et al. 2011; Vo and Kim 2013).
(2) Suppression of Allergic Reactions
The allergic reaction suppression effects of Kagome seaweed-derived fucoidans
were evaluated on adrenal cortex anaphylaxis model rats with egg albumin as an
antigen. Preventive effects were observed in a line of rats that began receiving a 1%
fucoidan solution seven days before the albumin was administered to their
abdominal cavity. Treatment effects were observed by beginning fucoidan administration under identical conditions 19 days after the albumin was administered. In
both groups, marked suppression was observed in production of immunoglobin E in
the blood, which is the trigger for allergic reactions.
Oral administration of Kagome seaweed-derived fucoidans may thus have both
preventive and therapeutic allergic reaction suppression effects.
6.8 Industrial Applications of Seaweeds
191