Anti-cancer effects of enzyme-digested fucoidan extract from seaweed Mozuku

Fucoidan is a uniquely-structured sulfated fucose-rich polysaccharide derived from brown algae. Recently, the abalone glycosidase-digested fucoidan extract (fucoidan extract) derived from seaweed Cladosiphon novae-caledoniae Kylin (Mozuku) draws much attention because of its clinical anti-cancer effect in Japan. Here, we report the cancer cells-specific apoptosis inducing effects of the fucoidan extract. The fucoidan extract suppressed the growth of various anchorage-dependent and -independent cancer cells. The fucoidan extract contained low molecular weight components, which induced apoptosis of human leukemic HL 60 cells but not of human lymphocytes. It was shown that the fucoidan extract lead caspase 3/7 activation and loss of mitochondrial membrane potential in HL 60 cells. Another function of the fucoidan extract was also observed. It has been known that sugar chain expression on the surface of cancer cell membrane changes dependent on their malignancy. The analysis on sugar chain expression profiling using FITC-labeled lectins revealed that the expression of concanavalin A (Con A) binding sugar chain was enhanced by the treatment of human lung adenocarcinoma A549, human uterine carcinoma HeLa and human fibrosarcoma HT1080 cells with the fucoidan extract. Con A-induced apoptosis of cancer cells was stimulated in a dose-and time-dependent manner by the treatment with the fucoidan extract but not of human normal fibroblast TIG-1 cells.