Are Helicobacter pylori Infection and Fucoidan Consumption Associated with Fucoidan Absorption?

Makoto Tomori,Masahiko Iha,Takeaki Nagamine

doi:10.3390/md18050235

Makoto Tomori, Masahiko Iha + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/md18050235

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Abstract

We examined the associations of Helicobacter pylori and mozuku consumption with fucoidan absorption. Overall, 259 Japanese volunteers consumed 3 g fucoidan, and their urine samples were collected to measure fucoidan values and H. pylori titers before and 3, 6, and 9 h after fucoidan ingestion. Compared to the basal levels (3.7 ± 3.4 ng/mL), the urinary fucoidan values significantly increased 3, 6, and 9 h (15.3 ± 18.8, 24.4 ± 35.1, and 24.2 ± 35.2 ng/mL, respectively) after fucoidan ingestion. The basal fucoidan levels were significantly lower in H. pylori-negative subjects who rarely ate mozuku than in those who regularly consumed it. Regarding the ΔMax fucoidan value (highest value − basal value) in H. pylori-positive subjects who ate mozuku at least once a month, those aged ≥40 years exhibited significantly lower values than <40 years old. Among subjects ≥40 years old who regularly consumed mozuku, the ΔMax fucoidan value was significantly lower in H. pylori-positive subjects than in H. pylori-negative ones. In H. pylori-positive subjects who ate mozuku at least once monthly, basal fucoidan values displayed positive correlations with H. pylori titers and ΔMax fucoidan values in subjects <40 years old. No correlations were found in H. pylori-positive subjects who ate mozuku once every 2–3 months or less. Thus, fucoidan absorption is associated with H. pylori infection and frequency of mozuku consumption.

Highlights

Fucoidan is a complex sulfated polysaccharide that is mostly found in brown marine algae
We examined the effects of H. pylori infection on the absorption of fucoidan extracted from Okinawa mozuku in Japanese volunteers
According to logistic regression analysis, age was a significant risk factor for H. pylori infection, as the risk of infection was significantly higher in patients ≥40 years old than in those

Summary

Introduction

Fucoidan is a complex sulfated polysaccharide that is mostly found in brown marine algae. Several investigators have reported a potential role of fucoidan as an anti-Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) agent based on its ability to disrupt the adhesion of the microbe to the gastric epithelium in vivo and in vitro [6,7,8,9]. The inhibitory effect of fucoidan derived from Cladosiphon okamuranus (Okinawa mozuku) on H. pylori was demonstrated in vitro by Shibata et al [6]. Their study showed that the H. pylori binding to human gastric cell lines was inhibited more by Cladosiphon fucoidan than by fucoidan procured from Fucus. Fucoidan blocked both Leb- and sulfatide-mediated attachment of H. pylori to gastric cells. They concluded that the inhibitory effect of Cladosiphon fucoidan on the binding of H. pylori and gastric cells might be caused by the coating with this component of the bacterial surface. No bacteriostatic or bactericidal activity was observed against H. pylori for any fucoidan preparation [9]

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