• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.75-80
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• 2009

Melanogenesis is a physiological process that results in the synthesis of melanin pigments. Tyrosinase is a key enzyme for melanin biosynthesis, and hyperpigmentation disorders are associated with abnormal accumulation of melanin pigments, which can be improved by treatment with depigmenting agents. Among the possible melanin-reducing compounds, tyrosinase inhibitors are most promising for preventing and treating pigmentation disorder and are used as skin-whitening agents in the cosmetic industry. In the present study, the effects of fucoidan on melanogenesis and tyrosinase activity of B16F10 melanoma cells were investigated. Melanin synthesis and tyrosinase activity in B16F10 melanoma cells were decreased in a dose-dependent manner by fucoidan. Melanin production and tyrosinase activity in B16F10 melanoma cells stimulated by a-melanocyte stimulating hormone (a-MSH) were inhibited by fucoidan with a dose-dependent manner compared to control. Fucoidan inhibited tyrosinase activity of B16F10 melanoma cells with a dose-dependent manner as assessed by 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) staining. In conclusion, these findings indicate that fucoidan, which inhibit melanin synthesis and tyrosinase activity, is an effective skin-whitening agent.

• ALGAE
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.237-247
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• 2014

Polysaccharides prepared from marine algae sometimes contain contaminants such as polyphenols and endotoxins that may mislead their bona fide biological activities. In this study, we examined bioactive contaminants in commercially available fucoindan from Fucus vesiculosus, along with ascophyllan and fucoidan from Ascophyllum nodosum. F. vesiculosus fucoidan inhibited the growth of Vibrio alginolyticus in a concentration-dependent manner ($0-1,000{\mu}g\;mL^{-1}$). However, the antibacterial activity of the fucoidan significantly reduced after methanol-extraction, and the methanol-extract showed a potent antibacterial activity. The extract also showed cytotoxicity to RAW264.7 and U937 cells, and induced apoptotic nuclear morphological changes in U937 cells. These results suggest that the antibacterial activity of the fucoidan is partly due to the methanol-extractable contaminants that can also contribute to the cytotoxicity on RAW264.7 and U937 cells. On the other hand, the activities to induce secretion of nitric oxide and tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ from RAW264.7 cells were observed in the fucoidan even after methanol extraction, and the extract had no such activities. Our observations suggest that commercially available fucoidan should be purified prior to biochemical use.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.49-56
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• 2011

Volatile components of crude fucoidan and its raw material, Undaria pinnatifida sporophylls were identified by GC/MSD analysis, and the effects of a combined method of solvent extraction and drying (hot-air drying or spray drying) on deordorization of fucoidans were examined. The major components of seaweed smell (odor) in crude fucoidan and Undaria pinnatifida sporophylls were identified as alkanes (octadecane, heptadecane, tetradecane) and acids (hexadecanoic acid, oleic acid). Solvent extraction and drying were combined for the deordorization of fucoidans: hot-air drying/deordorization process (HDDP) and spray drying/deordorization process (SDDP). The deordorization effects of solvent extraction using solvents including water, ethanol, and acetone were investigated. Among the tested solvents, ethanol was selected as a deordorization solvent, because the seaweed smell and taste were mostly lowered by ethanol extraction followed by drying. In addition, HDDP and SDDP were compared, showing that SDDP gave higher sensory characteristics than HDDP. When the crude fucoidan was treated by ethanol extraction for 30 min followed by SDDP, approximately 60% of off-flavor components of crude fucoidan was removed based on GC/MSD peak area, and the total sugar and sulfate contents and APTT-anticoagulant activity significantly increased compared to crude fucoidan. In conclusion, SDDP after ethanol treatment was proposed and established as a deordorization process for fucoidan preparation.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.725-731
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• 2014

This study aims to find the correlation the low-molecule fucoidan for cancer prevention with an accelerated formation of cotinine. In the presence of fucoidan, a nicotine to cotinine coversion was studied in established assay, direct mixture method and Hep-G2 cell line method. Fucoidan of $1{\mu}g/mL$ showed the potential effect for converting nicotine to cotinine in the direct mixture method compared to control. Increase of conversion rate at the treatment of fucoidan is exhibited as 15 times compared to control. In Hep-G2 cell treatment, fucoidan showed the potential activity for converting nicotine to cotinine as 6 times compared to control. Therefore, fucoidan was shown to be effective in the conversion of nicotine into cotinine even though it is not higher content of polyphenol and flavonoid than its of green tea extract.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.807-814
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• 2016

Fucoidan, one of the dominant sulfated polysaccharides extracted from brown seaweed, possesses a wide range of biological activities. Transforming growth $factor-{\beta}$ ($TGF-{\beta}$) plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis, by stimulating the synthesis of profibrotic factors. In this study, we investigated the in vitro effects of fucoidan on collagen synthesis, ${\alpha}-smooth$ muscle actin (${\alpha}-SMA$) expression, and interleukin (IL)-6 production in $TGF-{\beta}$-stimulated human pulmonary fibroblasts. The expression of type I collagen and ${\alpha}-SMA$ was detected by Western blot, and the production of IL-6 by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. $TGF-{\beta}1$ treatment of pulmonary fibroblasts enhanced the expression of ${\alpha}-SMA$, type I collagen, and IL-6 whereas these effects were inhibited in cells pretreated with fucoidan. The activation of Smad2/3, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), and Akt was also inhibited in fucoidan-pretreated, $TGF-{\beta}1-stimulated$ human pulmonary fibroblasts. These data demonstrate the anti-fibrotic potential of fucoidan in $TGF-{\beta}-induced$ human pulmonary fibroblasts, via the inhibition of Smad2/3, p38 MAPKs, and Akt phosphorylation. Our results suggest the therapeutic potential of fucoidan in the prevention or treatment of pulmonary fibrosis.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.105-115
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• 2006

Fucoidan has been shown to exhibit a host of biological activities, including anti-coagulant, anti-thrombotic, anti-tumourigenic, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-complementary and neuroprotective effects. In the present study, we attempted to determine the effects of Fucoidan on both apoptosis and cell proliferation in the hippocampal CA1 region and the dentate gyrus of gerbils after the induction of transient global ischemia. This experiment involved the use of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay as well as immunohistochemisty for caspase-3 and 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU). The monosaccharide composition of the purified Fucoidan which had been extracted from Laminaria religiosa was utilized in this study. The present study clearly induces that apoptotic cell death and cell proliferation in the gerbil's hippocampal regions increased significantly following the induction of transient global ischemia and the results of this study also indicate that Fucoidan exerted a suppressive effect on this observed ischemia-induced increase in apoptosis within the CA1 and dentate gyrus, and also suppressed cell proliferation in the dentate gyrus.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2021

Brown seaweeds have been shown to decrease blood glucose levels and improve insulin sensitivity previously. In this study, we investigated the effect of fucoidan, a complex polysaccharide derived from brown seaweeds, on glucose uptake to improve insulin resistance, and examined its mechanism of action in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. We observed that fucoidan significantly increased glucose uptake and it was related to an increased expression of plasma membrane-glucose transporter 4 (PM-GLUT4) in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Fucoidan treatment increased the activation of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) and the phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS1tyr) compared with that of the control cells. Fucoidan also promoted the phosphorylation of Akt and protein kinase C (PKC)-λ/ζ compared to that of the control cells. Moreover, fucoidan significantly upregulated acetyl-CoA-carboxylase (ACC) and adenosine monophosphate - activated protein kinase (AMPK) phosphorylation. As a result, translocation of GLUT4 was significantly enhanced in 3T3-L1 adipocytes, which significantly promoted glucose uptake via the PI3K/AMPK pathways. The elevation of glucose uptake by fucoidan was blocked by inhibitor of PI3K and inhibitor of AMPK in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. These findings indicate that fucoidan might ameliorate glucose uptake through GLUT4 translocation to the plasma membrane by activating the PI3K/Akt and AMPK pathways in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Fucoidan is thought to be of high material value to diabetes treatments and functional foods.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.521-525
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• 2001

Screening tests of different fucoidan fractions from Sporophylls of Undazia pinnatifida, Laminaria religiosa, Hizikia fusiforme and Sagassum fulvellum revealed that the highest biosorptive Pb and Cd uptake fraction was Undaria finnatifida Fr-3.0 prepared by dissolving the precipitated complex (crude fucoidan and cetylpyridinum chloride) with 3.0 M $CaCl_2$ solution, The Pb and Cd uptake by Undaria finnatifida Fr-3.0 was quantitatively evaluated using sorption isotherms and Langmuir sorption model. The Pb and Cd uptake by Undaria finnatifida Fr-3.0 increased with increasing pH values at high equilibrium residual concentration. The highest experimentally observed Pb and Cd uptake value in the sorption isotherm for pH 5.5 were 94 mg/g (at $C_f=164\;mg/L$) and 64 mg/g (at $C_f=197\;mg/L$) respectively, and $q_{max}$ of Pb and Cd calculated by Langmuir sorption model were 178 mg/g and 122 mg/g, respectively. In the low equilibrium concentration range, up to 20 mg/L, the Pb uptake remained unchanged in the presence of Cd, but decreased at higher equilibrium concentration range.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.191-195
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• 2012

Aminated gelatin microparticles were prepared with fucoidan at concentrations ranging from 0.5 to 2.0%. In order to acquire a higher primary amino group content regarding gelatin, gelatin was synthesized by using 1,2-ethylenediamine and free amino groups of aminated gelatin microsphere sample uncrosslinked or crosslinked with fucoidan have been determined by using trinitrobenzensulfonic acid (TNBS) methods. At the smallest fucoidan concentration, the free amino group content of the aminated gelatin microparticles was highest and decreased when fucoidan concentrations were increased. Furthermore, as concentration of fucoidan increased, the release from microparticles decreased. The $in$ $vitro$ gastric mucoadhesion of microparticles were evaluated by using fluorescent-labeled microparticles in an isolated and perfused mouse stomach. The gastric mucoadhesion of the aminated gelatin microparticles was significantly improved compared with that of gelatin microparticles.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.58 no.1
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• pp.59-63
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• 2020

Radical scavenger is used to improve the durability of PEMFC polymer membrane. In this study, we investigated whether fucoidan extracted from seaweed as a radical scavenger prevents electrochemical degradation through Fenton and OCV Holding experiments. Fucoidan has an antioxidant effect, protecting the polymer membrane from hydrogen peroxide and oxygen radicals, reducing the degradation rate to 1/10. Fucoidan has been shown to be more effective than MnO₂, which is used as a radical scavenger. In the PEMFC cell, the accelerated durability evaluation method (OCV Holding) showed that fucoidan reduced the hydrogen permeability of the polymer membrane by 12% and enhanced the performance by 29.1% compared to without radical scavenger. And fucoidan was found to be more effective in the cathode side ionomer than the anode side.