Brown Seaweed Sargassum Horneri Research Articles

Sargachromenol Isolated from Sargassum horneri Attenuates Glutamate-Induced Neuronal Cell Death and Oxidative Stress through Inhibition of MAPK/NF-κB and Activation of Nrf2/HO-1 Signaling Pathway.

Oxidative stress-induced neuronal cell loss is considered to be the major mechanism underlying the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases, which could be induced by a high concentration of glutamate. In this study, sargachromenol (SC) was isolated from a marine brown seaweed Sargassum horneri (S. horneri) and its neuroprotective effects against glutamate-induced oxidative stress in HT22 cells were investigated. An MTT assay was applied to assess the cytotoxicity of the SC, and the efficacies of SC were determined by flow cytometry, an analysis of ROS production, quantitative Real-Time PCR, and the Western blot assay. Our results showed that the pretreatment of SC reduced glutamate-induced apoptosis in HT22 cells via inhibiting the sub-G1 population, DNA fragmentation, and nuclear condensation, as well as up-regulating anti-apoptotic protein (Bcl-2) and down-regulating apoptotic proteins (Bax, p53, cleaved-PARP, caspase-3, caspase-9, and cytochrome c). Additionally, SC attenuated glutamate-induced oxidative stress by suppressing mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs;ERK, JNK, and p38) and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) signaling (IκBα and NF-κB p65), while activating nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)/heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) signaling (Nrf2; HO-1, and NQO-1). Our results suggest that SC could be used as a pharmacological candidate for the prevention and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

3-Hydroxy-5,6-epoxy-β-ionone Isolated from Invasive Harmful Brown Seaweed Sargassum Horneri Protects MH-S Mouse Lung Cells from Urban Particulate Matter-Induced Inflammation

Air pollution is a process that mixes pollutants into the atmosphere, which is potentially harmful to humans and causes negative impacts on the surrounding environment (biotic and abiotic). The negative health effects associated with air pollution have been reported from both indoor and outdoor environments. Specifically, dust storms originating in Chinese and Mongolian desert areas introduce significant amounts of particulate matter (PM) to the Korean atmosphere. Previously, several studies reported that urban PM (UPM) is a potential agent that causes inflammation in the lungs by altering multiple signal transduction pathways; therefore, screening and identification of anti-inflammatory compounds against UPM-induced inflammation is an urgent requirement. In the present study, we attempted to study the anti-inflammatory properties of 3-Hydroxy-5,6-epoxy-β-ionone (HEBI), a pure compound isolated from invasive brown seaweed, Sargassum horneri (brown edible seaweed), against UPM-stimulated lung macrophages (MH-S). Anti-inflammatory parameters of HEBI were evaluated using Western blots, ELISA, RT-qPCR, and MTT assays. According to the results, HEBI at concentrations between 31.3 and 125 µg/mL reduced UPM-induced NO, PGE2, and pro-inflammatory cytokine production via blocking the downstream signal transduction of NF-κB and MAPKs. Specifically, HEBI down-regulated the mRNA expression levels of Toll-like receptors 2 and 4, which are well-known NF-κB and MAPKs stimulators. Taken together, HEBI is a potential candidate to develop functional foods and active ingredients in cosmeceuticals because of its profound effects against UPM-induced inflammation in MH-S macrophages.

In Vitro and In Vivo Photoprotective Effects of (-)-Loliode Isolated from the Brown Seaweed, Sargassum horneri.

Skin is the largest organ of humans. Overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) is the primary environmental factor that causes skin damage. The compound, (-)-loliode, isolated from the brown seaweed Sargassum horneri, showed strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities in in vitro and in vivo models. To further explore the potential of (-)-loliode in cosmetics, in the present study, we investigated the photoprotective effect of (-)-loliode in vitro in skin cells and in vivo in zebrafish. The results indicated that (-)-loliode significantly reduced intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level, improved cell viability, and suppressed apoptosis of UVB-irradiated human keratinocytes. In addition, (-)-loliode remarkably attenuated oxidative damage, improved collagen synthesis, and inhibited matrix metalloproteinases expression in UVB-irradiated human dermal fibroblasts. Furthermore, the in vivo test demonstrated that (-)-loliode effectively and dose-dependently suppressed UVB-induced zebrafish damage displayed in decreasing the levels of ROS, nitric oxide, lipid peroxidation, and cell death in UVB-irradiated zebrafish. These results indicate that (-)-loliode possesses strong photoprotective activities and suggest (-)-loliode may an ideal ingredient in the pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical industries.

Isolation and Purification of Fucoxanthin from Brown Seaweed Sargassum horneri Using Open ODS Column Chromatography and Ethanol Precipitation.

As an abundant marine xanthophyll, fucoxanthin (FX) exhibits a broad range of biological activities. The preparation of high-purity FX is in great demand, however, most of the available methods require organic solvents which cannot meet the green chemistry standard. In the present study, a simple and efficient purification approach for the purification of FX from the brown seaweed Sargassum horneri was carried out. The FX-rich ethanol extract was isolated by octadecylsilyl (ODS) column chromatography using ethanol–water solvent as a gradient eluent. The overwhelming majority of FX was successfully eluted by the ethanol–water mixture (9:1, v/v), with a recovery rate of 95.36%. A parametric study was performed to optimize the aqueous ethanol precipitation process by investigating the effects on the purity and recovery of FX. Under the optimal conditions, the purity of FX was 91.07%, and the recovery rate was 74.98%. Collectively, the eco-friendly method was cost-efficient for the purification of FX. The developed method provides a potential approach for the large-scale production of fucoxanthin from the brown seaweed Sargassum horneri.

The Edible Brown Seaweed Sargassum horneri (Turner) C. Agardh Ameliorates High-Fat Diet-Induced Obesity, Diabetes, and Hepatic Steatosis in Mice.

Sargassum horneri (Turner) C. Agardh (S. horneri) is edible brown seaweed that grows along the coast of East Asia and has been traditionally used as a folk medicine and a local food. In this study, we evaluated the effects of S. horneri on the development of obesity and related metabolic disorders in C57BL/6J mice fed a high-fat diet. S. horneri was freeze-dried, fine-powdered, and mixed with a high-fat diet at a weight ratio of 2% or 6%. Feeding a high-fat diet to mice for 13 weeks induced obesity, diabetes, hepatic steatosis, and hypercholesterolemia. Supplementation of mice with S. horneri suppressed high-fat diet-induced body weight gain and the accumulation of fat in adipose tissue and liver, and the elevation of the serum glucose level. In addition, S. horneri improved insulin resistance. An analysis of the feces showed that S. horneri stimulated the fecal excretion of triglyceride, as well as increased the fecal polysaccharide content. Furthermore, extracts of S. horneri inhibited the activity of pancreatic lipase in vitro. These results showed that S. horneri can ameliorate diet-induced metabolic diseases, and the effect may be partly associated with the suppression of intestinal fat absorption.

Effects of Temperature and Light on Growth Rate and Photosynthetic Characteristics of Sargassum horneri

The changing environmental factors exerted great influences on coastal macroalgal communities. To study the responses of the brown seaweed Sargassum horneri to temperature and light, S. horneri was cultured under three temperatures (20, 25 and 30°C) and three light intensities (30, 60, and 120 µmol photonsm−2 s−1) for seven days. The growth rate, chlorophyll a (Chl a) and carotenoids (Car) contents, chlorophyll fluorescence, and photosynthetic oxygen evolution rate were measured. The results show that the highest relative growth rate (RGR), maximal electron transport rate (rETRmax); the net photosynthetic rate (Pn) were observed at the lowest temperature (20°C) and highest light intensity (120 µmol photons m−2 s−1); and the RGR and Pn were significantly inhibited by the highest temperature (30°C), especially at the lowest light intensity (30 µmol photons m−2 s−1) (P <0.05). Additionally, the highest light intensity enhanced the non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) even under the highest temperature (30°C), indicating that the higher light intensity could induce photo-protection reaction of thalli. These results suggest that the higher temperature and lower light intensity exerted negative influences on S. horneri.

Influence of Sargassum horneri Mitigating Odorous Gas Emissions from Swine Manure Storage Facilities

Manures from livestock industries and farmyards should be managed for land application. Currently, a deep pit or barn system is adopted by many swine farms for manure management, therefore releasing harmful gases and rising the total global emissions of GHGs. This research focuses on the effectiveness of the brown seaweed Sargassum horneri as a masking agent to mitigate odor-generating gaseous pollutants and reduce the emissions of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) from swine manure storage facilities. Using an optimized procedure, we compared the gaseous emissions from two manure storage barns, one containing swine manure masked with S. horneri and the other without masking as a control, over a 30-day period. The results showed that, compared to the control, seaweed masking significantly reduced the sulfide and VFA contents. Furthermore, reductions of 99.48% in H2S, 60 ± 5.21% in NH3 and 74.28 ± 2.14% in gaseous amine emissions were observed within the experimental period. Intriguingly, seaweed masking had beneficial effects, decreasing the total odor content by 97.78 ± 3.15% and increasing the nutrient quality of the manure. S. horneri has great potential as a masking agent in swine manure management to control environmental pollution.

Comparative Analysis of Sequence Polymorphism in Complete Organelle Genomes of the ‘Golden Tide’ Seaweed Sargassum horneri between Korean and Chinese Forms

Drifting and inundating brown seaweed Sargassum horneri biomass is called “golden tide”, as it resembles golden massive algal blooms like green tides. This phenomenon occurs globally and its serious ecological impacts on coastal ecosystems have recently begun to be paid attention to. In the present study, by sequencing whole organelle genomes of Korean indigenous S. horneri, we aimed to develop novel molecular markers that can be used for differentiating indigenous from nonindigenous individuals. To this end, we analyzed sequence polymorphisms in mitochondrial (mt) and chloroplast (cp) genomes of two Korean benthic samples in comparison to Chinese ones as a reference. We mapped mt genomes of 34,620~34,628 bp and cp genomes of 123,982~124,053 bp for the Korean samples. In comparative analyses, mtDNA cytochrome c oxidase subunit II (cox2) gene showed the highest number of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) between Korean and Chinese individuals. NADH dehydrogenase subunit 7 (Nad7)-proline tRNA (trnP) intergenic spacer (IGS) in the mt genome showed a 14 bp insertion or deletion (indel) mutation. For the cp genome, we found a total of 54 SNPs, but its overall evolution rate was approximately four-fold lower than the mt genome. Interestingly, analysis of Ka/Ks ratio in the cp genome revealed a signature of positive selection on several genes, although only negative selection prevalent in mt genome. The ‘candidate’ genetic markers that we found can be applied to discriminate between Korean indigenous and nonindigenous individuals. This study will assist in developing a molecular-based early detection method for effectively managing nonindigenous S. horneri in Korean waters.

Climate-Driven Range Shifts of Brown Seaweed Sargassum horneri in the Northwest Pacific

Climate-driven shifts of coastal species’ ranges constitute a key factor shaping both the vegetation composition and biodiversity of coastal ecosystems. Although phylogeographic studies relying on genetic data have shed light on the evolutionary history of macroalgae along the Northwest Pacific (NW-Pacific) coast, their distribution dynamics are less understood and require interdisciplinary examination. Here, we used a combination of species distribution models (SDMs) and genetic data to explain the causes of population persistence and genetic differentiation and their consequences for the brown seaweed Sargassum horneri in the NW-Pacific. In this region, the phylogeographic structure of S. horneri was analyzed by screening 72 populations spawning across the entire coastal distribution and obtaining their mtDNA cox3 data. Population genetic structure and SDMs based on paleoclimatic data consistently revealed that southern coasts of the Sea of Japan, North-Pacific-Japan, and the northern part of Okinawa Trough might have served as potential refugia for S. horneri during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Furthermore, we projected the distribution dynamics of S. horneri under future climate scenarios. The range of S. horneri was predicted to move northward, with a significant loss of suitable habitat, under the high emissions scenario (RCP 8.5). By contrast, projected range shifts were minimal under the low emissions scenario (RCP 2.6). Furthermore, North-Pacific-Japan was projected to be long-term persistence habitat for S. horneri under future climatic conditions, thus including this area in conservation planning could help mitigate for climate change implications. Our results enable a better understanding of the impacts of climate change on the spatio-temporal distribution of macroalgae and how this can inform coastal management and marine conservation planning.

One-Step Preparative Separation of Phytosterols from Edible Brown Seaweed Sargassum horneri by High-Speed Countercurrent Chromatography.

Sargassum horneri, a sargassaceae brown alga, is one of the main species in the subtidal seaweeds flora extensively distributed in the Yellow and East China Sea. It has been proven that the phytosterols are an important class of bioactive substances in S. horneri. In this work, a counter-current chromatography approach is proposed for preparative separation of phytol and two analogue sterols from a crude extract of S. horneri. A two-phase solvent system composed of n-hexane-acetonitrile-methanol (5:5:6, v/v) was selected and optimized. The effects of rotary speed and flow rate on the retention of the stationary phase were carefully studied. Under the optimum conditions, phytol and two analogue sterols, fucosterol and saringosterol, were baseline separated, producing 19.8 mg phytol, 23.7 mg fucosterol, and 3.1 mg saringosterol from 300 mg of crude S. horneri extract in one-step separation. The purities of three target compounds were all above 85%. The structures of phytol and two sterols were identified by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Fucoidan isolated from invasive Sargassum horneri inhibit LPS-induced inflammation via blocking NF-κB and MAPK pathways

The brown seaweed Sargassum horneri, recently invaded the shorelines or Jeju, South Korea. Within the framework of a sustainable strategy to control S. horneri, authors attempted to evaluate extraction yield, spectroscopic characterization, and anti-inflammatory properties of fucoidan, a commercially valuable sulfated polysaccharide, isolated from S. horneri. Previously, a number of studies reported that sulfated polysaccharides (SP) present in S. horneri is a potential candidate to develop as a functional ingredient. However, anti-inflammatory mechanisms and or SP responsible for those effects of S. horneri yet to be exposed. In, the present study, the authors attempted to isolate bioactive SP using Celluclast enzyme-assisted extraction followed by FPLC system assisted purification. The purified polysaccharide (SHCF2) inhibited the LPS-stimulated NO production in RAW 264.7 cells (IC50 = 40 μg/mL) via the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signal pathways. Specifically, SHCF2 down-regulated the heart-beating rate, cell death, ROS, and NO levels in LPS-exposed zebrafish embryo. In conclusion, our results expressed that this invasive brown seaweed is a potential candidate to isolate fucoidans.

Ethanol extract separated from Sargassum horneri (Turner) abate LPS-induced inflammation in RAW 264.7 macrophages

BackgroundThis study is aimed at identifying the anti-inflammatory properties of 70% ethanol extract produced from an edible brown seaweed Sargassum horneri (SJB-SHE) with industrial-scale production by Seojin Biotech Co. Ltd. S. horneri is a rich source of nutrient and abundantly growing along the shores of Jeju, South Korea.MethodsHere, we investigated the effect of SJB-SHE on LPS-activated RAW 264.7 macrophages. The cytotoxicity and NO production of SJB-SHE were evaluated using MTT and Griess assays, respectively. Additionally, protein expression and gene expression levels were quantified using ELISA, Western blots, and RT-qPCR.ResultsOur results indicated that pre-treatment of RAW 264.7 macrophages with SJB-SHE significantly inhibited LPS-induced NO and PGE2 production. SJB-SHE downregulated the proteins and genes expression of LPS-induced iNOS and COX2. Additionally, SJB-SHE downregulated LPS-induced production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-1β). Furthermore, SJB-SHE inhibited nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) activation and translocation to the nucleus. SJB-SHE also suppressed the phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (ERK1/2 and JNK).ConclusionsCollectively, our results demonstrated that SJB-SHE has a potential anti-inflammatory property to use as a functional food ingredient in the future.

Differential modulation of immune response and cytokine profiles of Sargassum horneri ethanol extract in murine spleen with or without Concanavalin A stimulation

The health benefit of brown seaweeds has been proclaimed for centuries, particularly in Asian countries. A brown seaweed Sargassum horneri has been suggested to have immune-boosting and anti-inflammatory/immune-regulatory effects, but their mechanism is still elusive. This study researches the immunological effect of 70% ethanol extract of S. horneri (SHE) on unstimulated and Con A-stimulated murine splenocytes. When treated alone, SHE had an immune stimulatory effect on CD3e+ CD4+ T-helper cells, CD3e+ CD8+ cytotoxic T cells, CD45+ CD11b+ macrophages, Ly-6C+ Ly-6 G+ granulocytes, and Ly6 G− Ly6Clow eosinophils. Furthermore, SHE enhanced wide spectrum of Th cytokines such as TNF-α, IFN-γ (Th1), IL-4, IL-5, IL-13 (Th2), and IL-6 (Th17), which also stimulated the macrophage polarizing cytokines and enhanced macrophage derived cytokine secretion. SHE in Con A (5 μg/mL) stimulated cells decreased T-helper, cytotoxic T cells, granulocytes, eosinophils, and monocytes. These results signify the potential immuno-modulatory effect of SHE which can be developed as a therapeutic agent in immuno-compromised individuals.

Erratum to: Contrasting effects of blue and red LED irradiations on the growth of Sargassum horneri during the germling and immature stages

The brown seaweed Sargassum horneri (Sargassaceae) is important for marine environment conservation. It could be used for a food material, medical applications, and future biofuel production. We compared the growth of S. horneri cultures under single wavelength blue and red light during the germling and immature stages. The growth rate based on the thallus area of S. horneri during the germling stage was faster under blue LED light than under red LED light. Furthermore, based on the wet weight of S. horneri, during the immature stage, blue LED light resulted in a faster growth rate than red LED light. Moreover, during the immature stage, compared with red LED light, blue LED light tended to increase the content of photosynthetic pigments. We conclude that use of blue LED light in indoor tanks during the germling and immature stages will improve the efficiency of S. horneri culture.

Anti-inflammatory activity of a sulfated polysaccharide isolated from an enzymatic digest of brown seaweed Sargassum horneri in RAW 264.7 cells.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVESSargassum horneri is an edible brown alga that grows in the subtidal zone as an annual species along the coasts of South Korea, China, and Japan. Recently, an extreme amount of S. horneri moved into the coasts of Jeju Island from the east coast of China, which made huge economic and environmental loss to the Jeju Island. Thus, utilization of this biomass becomes a big issue with the local authorities. Therefore, the present study was performed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory potential of crude polysaccharides (CPs) extracted from S. horneri China strain in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells.MATERIALS/METHODSCPs were precipitated from S. horneri digests prepared by enzyme assistant extraction using four food-grade enzymes (AMG, Celluclast, Viscozyme, and Alcalase). The production levels of nitric oxide (NO) and pro-inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-1β were measured by Griess assay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. The levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), nuclear factor (NF)-κB, and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) were measured by using western blot. The IR spectrums of the CPs were recorded using a fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) spectrometer.RESULTSThe polysaccharides from the Celluclast enzyme digest (CCP) showed the highest inhibition of NO production in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells (IC50 value: 95.7 µg/mL). Also, CCP dose-dependently down-regulated the protein expression levels of iNOS and COX-2 as well as the production of inflammatory cytokines, including TNF-α and IL-1β, compared to the only LPS-treated cells. In addition, CCP inhibited the activation of NF-κB p50 and p65 and the phosphorylation of MAPKs, including p38 and extracellular signal-regulated kinase, in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Furthermore, FT-IR analysis showed that the FT-IR spectrum of CCP is similar to that of commercial fucoidan.CONCLUSIONSOur results suggest that CCP has anti-inflammatory activities and is a potential candidate for the formulation of a functional food ingredient or/and drug to treat inflammatory diseases.

Contrasting effects of blue and red LED irradiations on the growth of Sargassum horneri during the germling and immature stages

The brown seaweed Sargassum horneri (Sargassaceae) is important for marine environment conservation. It could be used for a food material, medical applications, and future biofuel production. We compared the growth of S. horneri cultures under single wavelength blue and red light during the germling and immature stages. The growth rate based on the thallus area of S. horneri during the germling stage was faster under blue LED light than under red LED light. Furthermore, based on the wet weight of S. horneri, during the immature stage, blue LED light resulted in a faster growth rate than red LED light. Moreover, during the immature stage, compared with red LED light, blue LED light tended to increase the content of photosynthetic pigments. We conclude that use of blue LED light in indoor tanks during the germling and immature stages will improve the efficiency of S. horneri culture.

Measurement of Antioxidant Activities and Phenolic and Flavonoid Contents of the Brown Seaweed Sargassum horneri: Comparison of Supercritical CO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; and Various Solvent Extractions

Seaweed Sargassum horneri extracts were obtained using supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) and different solvents. SC-CO2 was kept at a temperature of 45oC and pressure of 250 bar. The flow rate of CO 2 (27 g/min) was constant during the entire 2-h extraction period, and ethanol was used as a cosolvent. Six different solvents [acetone, hexane, methanol, ethanol, acetone mix methanol (7:3), and hexane mix ethanol (9:1)] were used for extraction and agitated by magnetic stirring (250 rpm) in the dark at 25oC for 20 h; the ratio of material to solvent was 1:10 (w/v). Antioxidant properties of S. horneri extracted using SC-CO2 with ethanol and different solvents have shown good activity. The highest activity belongs to SC-CO2 with ethanol extracted oil, showing DPPH, ABTS, total phenolic content, and total flavonoid levels of 68.38 ± 1.21%, 83.51 ± 1.25%, 0.64 ± 0.02 mg/g, and 5.57 ± 0.05 mg/g, respectively. The S. horneri extracts showed a significant correlation between the antioxidant activity and phenolic content. Based on these results, the SC-CO2 extract (ethanol) of the seaweed extract from brown seaweed may be a valuable antioxidant source.

Marine macroalga Sargassum horneri as biosorbent for heavy metal removal: roles of calcium in ion exchange mechanism.

Brown seaweed Sargassum horneri, a troublesome biomass scattered along the seashore, was utilized as a biosorbent for Pb(II) removal from aqueous solutions. The Pb(II) adsorption by brown seaweed was enhanced by pretreatment with CaCl(2), and the Langmuir adsorption isotherm equation showed a maximum capacity of a Q(max) of 0.696 mmol/g and a b value of 94.33 L/mmol. Results obtained from the mass-balance equation derived from the simulation model of the Langmuir adsorption isotherm suggested that the adsorption performance of brown seaweed biosorbent was sufficient to reduce the concentration of Pb(II) to meet the range of WHO guideline. The mechanism, as elucidated using pH monitoring, adsorption rate and ion exchange model, involved the rapid pH change of metal solutions that led to high reaction rate and Pb(II) uptake in the first 30 min of the biosorption process. The energy X-ray analysis's result confirmed the sharp reduction of calcium content in the biosorbent after Pb(II) adsorption. The amount of calcium ions released from the biosorbent was about 1.5 times the amount of Pb(II) adsorbed and proved the role of calcium in the ion exchange mechanism. These adsorption equilibrium and mechanistic studies provide useful information for system design and performance prediction of biosorption processes.