Abstract
Fucoidans are a class of fucose-rich sulfated polysaccharides derived from brown macroalgae that exert a range of biological activities in vitro and in vivo. To generate an unbiased assessment of pathways and processes affected by fucoidan, a placebo-controlled double-blind pilot study was performed in healthy volunteers. Blood samples were taken immediately before and 24 h after ingestion of a single dose of 1 g of Undaria pinnatifida fucoidan (UPF) or placebo. Levels of isolated miRNAs were analyzed using Taqman Open Array Human MicroRNA panels. Out of 754 miRNAs screened, UPF affected a total of 53 miRNAs. Pathway analysis using the TALOS data analysis tool predicted 29 different pathways and processes that were largely grouped into cell surface receptor signaling, cancer-related pathways, the majority of which were previously associated with fucoidans. However, this analysis also identified nine pathways and processes that have not been associated with fucoidans before. Overall, this study illustrates that even a single dose of fucoidans has the potential to affect the expression of genes related to fundamental cellular processes. Moreover, it confirms previous data that fucoidans influence immunity, cancer cells, inflammation, and neurological function.
Highlights
Fucoidans, a class of fucose-rich sulfated polysaccharides, are derived from brown macroalgae and are associated with a large range of biological activities [1,2]
754 micro RNAs (miRNAs) were screened for this analysis
When human plasma miRNAs were compared between baseline (0 h) and 24 h post-treatment, a total of 63 miRNAs were found to be differentially expressed in the placebo-treated individuals (19 up-regulated, 44 down-regulated)
Summary
A class of fucose-rich sulfated polysaccharides, are derived from brown macroalgae and are associated with a large range of biological activities [1,2]. Fucoidans have long been noted as a selectin blocking compound that inhibits cell–cell interactions. This ability to disrupt cell–cell interactions is likely, at least in part, responsible for the potent anti-inflammatory activity of different fucoidan preparations. Fucoidans can inhibit the adhesion of proteins and organisms to non-biological surfaces, and may help to inhibit biofouling [3]. Previous data using a yeast deletion library illustrated that fucoidans can interact with more fundamental cellular pathways than previously anticipated [4]. Did the yeast study confirm that cell surface signaling pathways are affected by fucoidan, this study identified many additional fundamental intracellular pathways such as ribosome biogenesis, peroxisome biogenesis, Mar. Drugs 2020, 18, 143; doi:10.3390/md18030143 www.mdpi.com/journal/marinedrugs
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