The Cosmeceutical Properties of Compounds Derived from Marine Algae 211
light, and high ionic concentrations are present, and may lead to the biosynthesis of highly functionalized
and unusual molecules in marine organisms. Marine algae are important sources for a number of the high
value chemicals, with unique beneficial skin properties that are used in cosmetic products. Chemicals
such as β-carotene, astaxanthin, unsaturated fatty acids derived from algae, fucoidans, and mycosporinelike amino acids, have been found to provide antioxidant activity, UV protection, and an inhibitory effect
on melanogenesis as demonstrated by in vitro studies. Many compounds found in algae have not been
fully investigated in relation to their cosmeceutical benefits, but current evidence shows that they will
have an increasingly important role as actives in cosmeceutical products. With the increasing demand
for products aimed at slowing down and treating skin ageing, marine algae will become an increasingly
important source of actives for these types of products.
References
Anastyuk, S.D., N.M. Shevchenko, E.L. Nazarenko, P.S. Dmitrenok and T.N. Zvyagintseva. 2009. Structural analysis of a
fucoidan from the brown alga Fucus evanescens by MALDI-TOF and tandem ESI mass spectrometry. Carbohydr. Res.
344: 779–787.
Anastyuk, S.D., N.M. Shevchenko, E.L. Nazarenko, T.I. Imbs, V.I. Gorbach, P.S. Dmitrenok and T.N. Zvyagintseva. 2010.
Structural analysis of a highly sulfated fucan from the brown alga Laminaria cichorioides by tandem MALDI and ESI
mass spectrometry. Carbohydr. Res. 345: 2206–2212.
Asada, M., M. Sugie, M. Inoue, K. Nakagomi, S. Hongo, K. Murata, S. Irie, T. Takeuchi, N. Tomizuka and S. Oka. 1997.
Inhibitory effect of alginic acids on hyaluronidase and on histamine release from mast cells. Biosci. Biotechnol. Biochem.
61: 1030–1032.
Athukorala, Y., K.N. Kim and Y.J. Jeon. 2006. Antiproliferative and antioxidant properties of an enzymatic hydrolysate from
brown alga, Echlonia cava. Food Chem. Toxicol. 44: 1065–1074.
Augst, A.D., H.J. Kong and D.J. Mooney. 2006. Alginate hydrogels as biomaterials. Macromol. Biosci. 6: 623–633.
Balasundram, N., K. Sundram and S. Samman. 2006. Phenolic compounds in plants and agri-industrial by-products: Antioxidant
activity, occurrence, and potential uses. Food Chem. 99: 191–203.
Bandaranayake, W.M. 1998. Mycosporines: are they nature’s sunscreens? Nat. Prod. Rep. 15: 159–172.
Berner, T. 1993. Ultrastructure of Microalgae. CRC Press, Boca Raton.
Berteau, O. and B. Mulloy. 2003. Sulfated fucans, fresh perspectives: structures, functions, and biological properties of
sulfated fucans and an overview of enzymes active toward this class of polysaccharide. Glycobiology 13: 29R–40R.
Bilan, M.I., A.A. Grachev, N.E. Ustuzhanina, A.S. Shashkov, N.E. Nifantiev and A.I. Usov. 2004. A highly regular fraction
of a fucoidan from the brown seaweed Fucus distichus L. Carbohydr. Res. 339: 511–517.
Bilan, M.I., A.A. Grachev, A.S. Shashkov, N.E. Nifantiev and A.I. Usov. 2006. Structure of a fucoidan from the brown seaweed
Fucus serratus L. Carbohydr. Res. 341: 238–245.
Bilan, M.I. and A.I. Usov. 2008. Structural analysis of fucoidans. Nat. Prod. Commun. 3: 1639–1648.
Bohm, G.A., W. Pfleiderer, P. Boger and S. Scherer. 1995. Structure of a novel oligosaccharide-mycosporine-amino acid
ultraviolet A/B sunscreen pigment from the terrestrial cyanobacterium Nostoc commune. J. Biol. Chem. 270: 8536–8539.
Brenneisen, P., H. Sies and K. Scharffetter-Kochanek. 2002. Ultraviolet-B irradiation and matrix metalloproteinases: from
induction via signaling to initial events. Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. 973: 31–43.
Cardozo, K.H., T. Guaratini, M.P. Barros, V.R. Falcao, A.P. Tonon, N.P. Lopes, S. Campos, M.A. Torres, A.O. Souza,
P. Colepicolo and E. Pinto. 2007. Metabolites from algae with economical impact. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. C Toxicol.
Pharmacol. 146: 60–78.
Cardozo, K.H.M., R. Vessecchi, V.M. Carvalho, E. Pinto, P.J. Gates, P. Colepicolo, S.E. Galembeck and N.P. Lopes. 2008. A
theoretical and mass spectrometry study of the fragmentation of mycosporine-like amino acids. Int. J. Mass Spectrom.
273: 11–19.
Carignan, M.O., K.H. Cardozo, D. Oliveira-Silva, P. Colepicolo and J.I. Carreto. 2009. Palythine-threonine, a major novel
mycosporine-like amino acid (MAA) isolated from the hermatypic coral Pocillopora capitata. J. Photochem. Photobiol.
B. 94: 191–200.
Chattopadhyay, N., T. Ghosh, S. Sinha, K. Chattopadhyay, P. Karmakar and B. Ray. 2010. Polysaccharides from Turbinaria
conoides: Structural features and antioxidant capacity. Food. Chem. 118: 823–829.
Chung, J.H., J.Y. Seo, H.R. Choi, M.K. Lee, C.S. Youn, G. Rhie, K.H. Cho, K.H. Kim, K.C. Park and H.C. Eun. 2001.
Modulation of skin collagen metabolism in aged and photoaged human skin in vivo. J. Invest. Dermatol. 117: 1218–1224.
Conde, F.R., M.S. Churio and C.M. Previtali. 2000. The photoprotector mechanism of mycosporine-like amino acids. Excitedstate properties and photostability of porphyra-334 in aqueous solution. J. Photochem. Photobiol. B. 56: 139–144.
Coragliotti, A., S. Franklin, A.G. Day and S.M. Decker. 2012. Microalgal polysaccharide compositions. US20120202768 A1.
Cumashi, A., N.A. Ushakova, M.E. Preobrazhenskaya, A. D‘Incecco, A. Piccoli, L. Totani, N. Tinari, G.E. Morozevich,
A.E. Berman, M.I. Bilan, A.I. Usov, N.E. Ustyuzhanina, A.A. Grachev, C.J. Sanderson, M. Kelly, G.A. Rabinovich,
S. Iacobelli and N.E. Nifantiev. 2007. A comparative study of the anti-inflammatory, anticoagulant, antiangiogenic, and
antiadhesive activities of nine different fucoidans from brown seaweeds. Glycobiology 17: 541–552.
light, and high ionic concentrations are present, and may lead to the biosynthesis of highly functionalized
and unusual molecules in marine organisms. Marine algae are important sources for a number of the high
value chemicals, with unique beneficial skin properties that are used in cosmetic products. Chemicals
such as β-carotene, astaxanthin, unsaturated fatty acids derived from algae, fucoidans, and mycosporinelike amino acids, have been found to provide antioxidant activity, UV protection, and an inhibitory effect
on melanogenesis as demonstrated by in vitro studies. Many compounds found in algae have not been
fully investigated in relation to their cosmeceutical benefits, but current evidence shows that they will
have an increasingly important role as actives in cosmeceutical products. With the increasing demand
for products aimed at slowing down and treating skin ageing, marine algae will become an increasingly
important source of actives for these types of products.
References
Anastyuk, S.D., N.M. Shevchenko, E.L. Nazarenko, P.S. Dmitrenok and T.N. Zvyagintseva. 2009. Structural analysis of a
fucoidan from the brown alga Fucus evanescens by MALDI-TOF and tandem ESI mass spectrometry. Carbohydr. Res.
344: 779–787.
Anastyuk, S.D., N.M. Shevchenko, E.L. Nazarenko, T.I. Imbs, V.I. Gorbach, P.S. Dmitrenok and T.N. Zvyagintseva. 2010.
Structural analysis of a highly sulfated fucan from the brown alga Laminaria cichorioides by tandem MALDI and ESI
mass spectrometry. Carbohydr. Res. 345: 2206–2212.
Asada, M., M. Sugie, M. Inoue, K. Nakagomi, S. Hongo, K. Murata, S. Irie, T. Takeuchi, N. Tomizuka and S. Oka. 1997.
Inhibitory effect of alginic acids on hyaluronidase and on histamine release from mast cells. Biosci. Biotechnol. Biochem.
61: 1030–1032.
Athukorala, Y., K.N. Kim and Y.J. Jeon. 2006. Antiproliferative and antioxidant properties of an enzymatic hydrolysate from
brown alga, Echlonia cava. Food Chem. Toxicol. 44: 1065–1074.
Augst, A.D., H.J. Kong and D.J. Mooney. 2006. Alginate hydrogels as biomaterials. Macromol. Biosci. 6: 623–633.
Balasundram, N., K. Sundram and S. Samman. 2006. Phenolic compounds in plants and agri-industrial by-products: Antioxidant
activity, occurrence, and potential uses. Food Chem. 99: 191–203.
Bandaranayake, W.M. 1998. Mycosporines: are they nature’s sunscreens? Nat. Prod. Rep. 15: 159–172.
Berner, T. 1993. Ultrastructure of Microalgae. CRC Press, Boca Raton.
Berteau, O. and B. Mulloy. 2003. Sulfated fucans, fresh perspectives: structures, functions, and biological properties of
sulfated fucans and an overview of enzymes active toward this class of polysaccharide. Glycobiology 13: 29R–40R.
Bilan, M.I., A.A. Grachev, N.E. Ustuzhanina, A.S. Shashkov, N.E. Nifantiev and A.I. Usov. 2004. A highly regular fraction
of a fucoidan from the brown seaweed Fucus distichus L. Carbohydr. Res. 339: 511–517.
Bilan, M.I., A.A. Grachev, A.S. Shashkov, N.E. Nifantiev and A.I. Usov. 2006. Structure of a fucoidan from the brown seaweed
Fucus serratus L. Carbohydr. Res. 341: 238–245.
Bilan, M.I. and A.I. Usov. 2008. Structural analysis of fucoidans. Nat. Prod. Commun. 3: 1639–1648.
Bohm, G.A., W. Pfleiderer, P. Boger and S. Scherer. 1995. Structure of a novel oligosaccharide-mycosporine-amino acid
ultraviolet A/B sunscreen pigment from the terrestrial cyanobacterium Nostoc commune. J. Biol. Chem. 270: 8536–8539.
Brenneisen, P., H. Sies and K. Scharffetter-Kochanek. 2002. Ultraviolet-B irradiation and matrix metalloproteinases: from
induction via signaling to initial events. Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. 973: 31–43.
Cardozo, K.H., T. Guaratini, M.P. Barros, V.R. Falcao, A.P. Tonon, N.P. Lopes, S. Campos, M.A. Torres, A.O. Souza,
P. Colepicolo and E. Pinto. 2007. Metabolites from algae with economical impact. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. C Toxicol.
Pharmacol. 146: 60–78.
Cardozo, K.H.M., R. Vessecchi, V.M. Carvalho, E. Pinto, P.J. Gates, P. Colepicolo, S.E. Galembeck and N.P. Lopes. 2008. A
theoretical and mass spectrometry study of the fragmentation of mycosporine-like amino acids. Int. J. Mass Spectrom.
273: 11–19.
Carignan, M.O., K.H. Cardozo, D. Oliveira-Silva, P. Colepicolo and J.I. Carreto. 2009. Palythine-threonine, a major novel
mycosporine-like amino acid (MAA) isolated from the hermatypic coral Pocillopora capitata. J. Photochem. Photobiol.
B. 94: 191–200.
Chattopadhyay, N., T. Ghosh, S. Sinha, K. Chattopadhyay, P. Karmakar and B. Ray. 2010. Polysaccharides from Turbinaria
conoides: Structural features and antioxidant capacity. Food. Chem. 118: 823–829.
Chung, J.H., J.Y. Seo, H.R. Choi, M.K. Lee, C.S. Youn, G. Rhie, K.H. Cho, K.H. Kim, K.C. Park and H.C. Eun. 2001.
Modulation of skin collagen metabolism in aged and photoaged human skin in vivo. J. Invest. Dermatol. 117: 1218–1224.
Conde, F.R., M.S. Churio and C.M. Previtali. 2000. The photoprotector mechanism of mycosporine-like amino acids. Excitedstate properties and photostability of porphyra-334 in aqueous solution. J. Photochem. Photobiol. B. 56: 139–144.
Coragliotti, A., S. Franklin, A.G. Day and S.M. Decker. 2012. Microalgal polysaccharide compositions. US20120202768 A1.
Cumashi, A., N.A. Ushakova, M.E. Preobrazhenskaya, A. D‘Incecco, A. Piccoli, L. Totani, N. Tinari, G.E. Morozevich,
A.E. Berman, M.I. Bilan, A.I. Usov, N.E. Ustyuzhanina, A.A. Grachev, C.J. Sanderson, M. Kelly, G.A. Rabinovich,
S. Iacobelli and N.E. Nifantiev. 2007. A comparative study of the anti-inflammatory, anticoagulant, antiangiogenic, and
antiadhesive activities of nine different fucoidans from brown seaweeds. Glycobiology 17: 541–552.