Fucoidan from Macrocystis pyrifera has powerful immune-modulatory effects compared to three other fucoidans

• Published in: Marine drugs Vol. 13; no. 3; pp. 1084 - 1104
• Main Authors: Zhang, Wei, Oda, Tatsuya, Yu, Qing, Jin, Jun-O
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 19.02.2015; MDPI
• Subjects: adjuvant; Animals; Apoptosis - drug effects; Ascophyllum nodosum; Cell Line; Cell Proliferation - drug effects; dendritic cells; Dendritic Cells - drug effects; Dendritic Cells - metabolism; fucoidans; Fucus vesiculosus; Humans; Immunologic Factors - isolation & purification; Immunologic Factors - pharmacology; Killer Cells, Natural - drug effects; Killer Cells, Natural - immunology; Macrocystis - chemistry; Macrocystis pyrifera; Marine; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; neutrophils; Neutrophils - drug effects; Neutrophils - metabolism; NK cells; Ovalbumin - immunology; Phaeophyceae - chemistry; Polysaccharides - isolation & purification; Polysaccharides - pharmacology; T cells; T-Lymphocytes - drug effects; T-Lymphocytes - metabolism; Undaria pinnatifida
• ISSN: 1660-3397; 1660-3397
• DOI: 10.3390/md13031084

Fucoidan, a sulfated polysaccharide purified from brown algae, has a variety of immune-modulation effects, such as promoting activation of dendritic cells (DCs), natural killer (NK) cells and T cells, and enhancing anti-viral and anti-tumor responses. However, the immune-modulatory effect of fucoidan from different seaweed extracts has not been thoroughly analyzed and compared. We analyzed fucoidans obtained from Ascophyllum nodosum (A. nodosum), Macrocystis pyrifera (M. pyrifera), Undaria pinnatifida (U. pinnatifida) and Fucus vesiculosus (F. vesiculosus) for their effect on the apoptosis of human neutrophils, activation of mouse NK cells, maturation of spleen DCs, proliferation and activation of T cells, and the adjuvant effect in vivo. Fucoidans from M. pyrifera and U. pinnatifida strongly delayed human neutrophil apoptosis at low concentration, whereas fucoidans from A. nodosum and F. vesiculosus delayed human neutrophil apoptosis at higher concentration. Moreover, fucoidan from M. pyrifera promoted NK cell activation and cytotoxic activity against YAC-1 cells. In addition, M. pyrifera fucoidan induced the strongest activation of spleen DCs and T cells and ovalbumin (OVA) specific immune responses compared to other fucoidans. These data suggest that fucoidan from M. pyrifera can be potentially useful as a therapeutic agent for infectious diseases, cancer and an effective adjuvant for vaccine.