• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.194-202
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• 2009

Sulfated fucans are known to have both anti-thrombotic and anti-coagulant activities. In this study, the variation in platelet aggregation and anti-coagulant activities was investigated in vitro with regard to administered dose, molecular weight distribution, sulfate content, and sugar composition in two algal fucoidans from Eisenia bicyclis and Undaria pinnatifida sporophylls (Mekabu). The anti-coagulant activity largely correlated with sulfate content and with molecular weight distribution in a dose-dependent manner. However, both fucoidans demonstrated inhibitory responses to ADP-induced platelet aggregation in dose- and structure-dependent manners that contrasted with the anti-coagulant activity. Neither molecular weight distribution nor sulfate content greatly affected platelet-aggregation inhibition (PA-inhibition) by the fucoidan fractions, whereas anti-coagulant activity was sensitive to these structural factors. Interestingly, an E. bicyclis fucoidan fraction exhibited almost complete PA-inhibition at a treatment dose of 500 mg/mL while retaining weak anti-coagulant activity. In conclusion, these observations suggest that fucoidan may be a useful anti-thrombotic or anti-platelet agent in various arterial thrombotic disorders, including post-vascular intervention with controlled bleeding complications, due to its anti-coagulant modulating activity.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.223-229
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• 2010

Fucoidans, polysaccharides that are composed of fucose, uronic acids, galactose and xylose, are one of the main constituents of brown seaweeds. For the past decade algal fucoidans have been extensively studied due to their biological activities including anticoagulant, antiinflammatory, antitumor, contraceptive and antiviral activities. Even though fucoidan is known as a highly functionality derivative, its industrial applications have been limited because of low inclusion efficiency and high cost of manufacturing. Furthermore the sea-weed smell of fucoidan has been a limiting factor for the application especially in food and cosmetic area. The potential application of various extraction technology and deodorization of sea-weed smell is highly required for a wider application of fucoidan. As an alternative extraction process, enzymatic hydrolysis process or ultra-high pressure treatment has been investigated for the improvement of production yield and bioefficacy of fucoidan. More intensive research on the fucoidan production technology and its application in nutraceutical and cosmoceutical area is needed.