Fucoidan and Alginate from the Brown Algae Colpomenia sinuosa and Their Combination with Vitamin C Trigger Apoptosis in Colon Cancer.

Reem Al Monla,Nouha Sari-Chmayssem,Hiba Mawlawi,Zeina Dassouki,Hala Gali-Muhtasib

doi:10.3390/molecules27020358

Reem Al Monla, Nouha Sari-Chmayssem + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27020358

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Abstract

Brown seaweeds are producers of bioactive molecules which are known to inhibit oncogenic growth. Here, we investigated the antioxidant, cytotoxic, and apoptotic effects of two polysaccharides from the brown algae Colpomenia sinuosa, namely fucoidan and alginate, in a panel of cancer cell lines and evaluated their effects when combined with vitamin C. Fucoidan and alginate were isolated from brown algae and characterized by HPLC, FTIR, and NMR spectroscopy. The results indicated that highly sulfated fucoidans had higher antioxidant and cytotoxic effects than alginate. Human colon cancer cells were the most sensitive to the algal treatments, with fucoidan having an IC50 value (618.9 µg/mL−1) lower than that of alginate (690 µg/mL−1). The production of reactive oxygen species was increased upon treatment of HCT-116 cells with fucoidan and alginate, which suggest that these compounds may trigger cell death via oxidative damage. The combination of fucoidan with vitamin C showed enhanced effects compared to treatment with fucoidan alone, as evidenced by the significant inhibitory effects on HCT-116 colon cancer cell viability. The combination of the algal polysaccharides with vitamin C caused enhanced degeneration in the nuclei of cells, as evidenced by DAPI staining and increased the subG1 population, suggesting the induction of cell death. Together, these results suggest that fucoidan and alginate from the brown algae C. sinuosa are promising anticancer compounds, particularly when used in combination with vitamin C.

Highlights

The marine environment is an exceptionally diverse reservoir comprised of nearly250,000 species that produce numerous secondary compounds with extraordinary chemical and pharmacological effects [1]
To determine the degree of sulfation, the barium-chloride method was adopted, and the results showed that fucoidan was highly sulfated (18.8%) more than alginate (5.53%)
The percentage of cells in the G1 phase decreased post alginate treatment, when alginate was combined with vitamin C. These results indicate that fucoidan and alginate induce cell death in HCT116 cancer cell line

Summary

Introduction

The marine environment is an exceptionally diverse reservoir comprised of nearly250,000 species that produce numerous secondary compounds with extraordinary chemical and pharmacological effects [1]. There has been growing interest in the polysaccharides present in cell walls of brown algae, including laminarins, alginates, and fucoidans, as these compounds have high potential for biological applications in functional foods as well as cosmeceutical and pharmaceutical bioproducts [3]. Fucoidans found in brown seaweeds cover a family of sulfated fucose-rich polysaccharides. They are made up of a backbone of (1→3) and/or (1→4) α-linked L-fucopyranose units [4]. Owing to their biofunctional properties, fucoidans are potent antitumor agents with numerous pharmaceutical applications [5]. Dietary fucoidans and those from other brown algal species were found to enhance the anticancer effects of the chemotherapeutic drugs tamoxifen and lapatinib when used against a wide range of cancer cells and in mouse models of cancer [8,9]

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