Fucoxanthin

J Photochem Photobiol B. 2009 May 4;95(2):101-7.

Protective effect of fucoxanthin isolated from Sargassum siliquastrum on UV-B induced cell damage.[Pubmed: 19264501 ]

Fucoxanthin is a carotenoid isolated from Sargassum siliquastrum and is considered to be one of major active compound of marine algae.
METHODS AND RESULTS:
In this study, we investigated and confirmed the protective effect of Fucoxanthin on UV-B induced cell injury in human fibroblast via 2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA), 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT), and comet assays. Intracellular ROS generated by exposure to UV-B radiation, which was significantly decreased by addition with various concentrations of Fucoxanthin. Cell survival rate was increased with Fucoxanthin pre-treated cells, which was reached around 81.47% at 100 microM, and the inhibitory effect of cell damage exhibited dose-dependent manner. Moreover, Fucoxanthin having protective properties was demonstrated via Hoechst 33342/PI staining.
CONCLUSIONS:
Hence, on the basis of the above-mentioned studies, Fucoxanthin has the ability to protect against oxidative stress induced by UV-B radiation and which might be applied to antioxidant and cosmeceutical industries.

Biochim Biophys Acta. 2004 Nov 18;1675(1-3):113-9.

Fucoxanthin induces apoptosis and enhances the antiproliferative effect of the PPARgamma ligand, troglitazone, on colon cancer cells.[Pubmed: 15535974 ]

METHODS AND RESULTS:
The effect of Fucoxanthin, from the edible seaweed Undaria pinnatifida on viability of colon cancer cells and induction of apoptosis was investigated. Fucoxanthin remarkably reduced the viability of human colon cancer cell lines, Caco-2, HT-29 and DLD-1. Furthermore, treatment with Fucoxanthin induced DNA fragmentation, indicating apoptosis. The DNA fragmentation in Caco-2 cells treated with 22.6 microM Fucoxanthin for 24 h was 10-fold higher than in the control. Fucoxanthin suppressed the level of Bcl-2 protein. Also, DNA fragmentation induced by Fucoxanthin was partially inhibited by a caspase inhibitor Z-VAD-fmk. Moreover, combined treatment with 3.8 microM Fucoxanthin and 10 microM troglitazone, which is a specific ligand for peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) gamma, effectively decreased the viability of Caco-2 cells. However, separate treatments with these same concentrations of Fucoxanthin nor troglitazone did not affect cell viability.
CONCLUSIONS:
These findings indicate that Fucoxanthin may act as a chemopreventive and/or chemotherapeutic carotenoid in colon cancer cells by modulating cell viability in combination with troglitazone.

Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2005 Jul 1;332(2):392-7.

Fucoxanthin from edible seaweed, Undaria pinnatifida, shows antiobesity effect through UCP1 expression in white adipose tissues.[Pubmed: 15896707]

Mitochondrial uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) is usually expressed only in brown adipose tissue (BAT) and a key molecule for metabolic thermogenesis to avoid an excess of fat accumulation. However, there is little BAT in adult humans. Therefore, UCP1 expression in tissues other than BAT is expected to reduce abdominal fat.
METHODS AND RESULTS:
Here, we show reduction of abdominal white adipose tissue (WAT) weights in rats and mice by feeding lipids from edible seaweed, Undaria pinnatifida. Clear signals of UCP1 protein and mRNA were detected in WAT of mice fed the Undaria lipids, although there is little expression of UCP1 in WAT of mice fed control diet. The Undaria lipids mainly consisted of glycolipids and seaweed carotenoid, Fucoxanthin. In the Fucoxanthin-fed mice, WAT weight significantly decreased and UCP1 was clearly expressed in the WAT, while there was no difference in WAT weight and little expression of UCP1 in the glycolipids-fed mice.
CONCLUSIONS:
This result indicates that Fucoxanthin upregulates the expression of UCP1 in WAT, which may contribute to reducing WAT weight.

J Agric Food Chem. 2007 Sep 19;55(19):7701-6. Epub 2007 Aug 23.

Dietary combination of fucoxanthin and fish oil attenuates the weight gain of white adipose tissue and decreases blood glucose in obese/diabetic KK-Ay mice.[Pubmed: 17715888]

Fucoxanthin is a marine carotenoid found in edible brown seaweeds. We previously reported that dietary Fucoxanthin attenuates the weight gain of white adipose tissue (WAT) of diabetic/obese KK- A(y) mice.
METHODS AND RESULTS:
In this study, to evaluate the antiobesity and antidiabetic effects of Fucoxanthin and fish oil, we investigated the effect on the WAT weight, blood glucose, and insulin levels of KK- A(y) mice. Furthermore, the expression level of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) and adipokine mRNA in WAT were measured. After 4 weeks of feeding, 0.2% Fucoxanthin in the diet markedly attenuated the gain of WAT weight in KK- A(y) mice with increasing UCP1 expression compared with the control mice. The WAT weight of the mice fed 0.1% Fucoxanthin and 6.9% fish oil was also significantly lower than that of the mice fed Fucoxanthin alone. In addition, 0.2% Fucoxanthin markedly decreased the blood glucose and plasma insulin concentrations in KK- A(y) mice. The mice fed with the combination diet of 0.1% Fucoxanthin and fish oil also showed improvements similar to that of 0.2% Fucoxanthin. Leptin and tumor necrosis factor (TNFalpha) mRNA expression in WAT were significantly down-regulated by 0.2% Fucoxanthin.
CONCLUSIONS:
These results suggest that dietary Fucoxanthin decreases the blood glucose and plasma insulin concentration of KK- A(y) along with down-regulating TNFalpha mRNA. In addition, the combination of Fucoxanthin and fish oil is more effective for attenuating the weight gain of WAT than feeding with Fucoxanthin alone.

Exp Eye Res. 2005 Oct;81(4):422-8.

Effects of fucoxanthin on lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation in vitro and in vivo.[Pubmed: 15950219]

The aim of the present study was to investigate the efficacy of Fucoxanthin on endotoxin-induced uveitis (EIU) in rats.
METHODS AND RESULTS:
The effects of Fucoxanthin on endotoxin-induced leucocyte and protein infiltration, nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin (PG)-E2 and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha concentrations in rat aqueous humour, as well as on the cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) protein expression in a mouse macrophage cell line (RAW 264.7 cells) were studied. EIU was induced in male Lewis rats by a footpad injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Immediately after the LPS injection, either 0.1, 1 or 10mgkg(-1) of Fucoxanthin was injected intravenously. The aqueous humour was collected 24hr later from both eyes, and both the number of cells infiltrating into the aqueous humour and the aqueous humour protein concentration were measured. The levels of PGE2, NO and TNF-alpha were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The RAW 264.7 cells were pretreated with various concentrations of Fucoxanthin for 24hr and subsequently incubated with LPS for 24hr. COX-2 and iNOS protein expression was analysed by the Western blotting method. Levels of PGE2, NO and TNF-alpha production were determined. Fucoxanthin suppressed the development of EIU in a dose-dependent fashion. Treatment with Fucoxanthin resulted in a reduction in PGE2, NO and TNF-alpha concentrations in the aqueous humour. The expression of COX and iNOS protein in the Fucoxanthin treated RAW264.7 cells decreased significantly compared to that the LPS group. It also significantly reduced the concentration of PGE2, NO and TNF-alpha production in the medium of cells.
CONCLUSIONS:
The present result indicate Fucoxanthin suppresses the inflammation of EIU by blocking the iNOS and COX-2 protein expression and its anti-inflammatory effect on eye is comparable with the effect of predinisolone used in similar doses.

Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 1999 Mar;63(3):605-7.

Fucoxanthin as the major antioxidant in Hijikia fusiformis, a common edible seaweed.[Pubmed: 10227153 ]

METHODS AND RESULTS:
The radical scavenging activity of Japanese edible seaweeds was screened by the DPPH (1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) assay to evaluate the DPPH radical scavenging activity in organic extracts. The fresh brown alga Hijikia fusiformis showed the strongest DPPH radical scavenging activity, followed by Undaria pinnatifida and Sargassum fulvellum.
CONCLUSIONS:
The major active compound from Hijikia fusiformis in its acetone extract was identified as Fucoxanthin by 13C-NMR spectroscopy.