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Fucoidan is a group of fucose-rich sulfated polycarbohydrates, which was first isolated in 1913 from marine brown algae. In addition to the enriched fucose, fucoidan also has trace elements of galactose, xylose, and glucuronic acid, which are also the essential sugars. As a component of brown seaweeds, fucoidan is commonly found in traditional Japanese diets such as Wakame and Kombu [1, 2].

Fucoidan exhibits remarkable biological and/or therapeutic properties due to its ability to imitate patterns of sulfate substitution on glycosaminoglycans and other sulfated glucans. As indicated in recent studies, fucoidan enhances the human immune system, improves blood, liver and digestion functions, protects gastric mucosa from attacks of Helicobacter pylori, assists with joints, improves skin and cellular growth and much more.
For example, fucoidan shares a similar basic chemical structure with the anticoagulant agent heparin. Like heparin, fucoidan can also be used as a "blood thinner" to decrease the elevated blood viscosity and shear stress, which are usually caused by many pathogenic factors or diseases, such as smoking, diabetes, high blood homocysteine levels, excessive drinking, low antioxidant levels, etc. Thus, fucoidan decreases the clotting ability of the blood and helps prevent harmful clots from forming in the blood vessels. [3] Furthermore, fucoidan has antiproliferative effects on vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs). It is well known that vascular SMC proliferation is one of the key factors that elicit the atherosclerotic change in blood vessels. In fact, as reported by Logeartet et al in 1997, a fucoidan fraction from one of species of brown seaweeds, Ascophyllum nodosum, was more active than heparin [4[ and active even for heparin-resistant SMCs [5]

Fucoidan extracted from Cladosiphon okamuranus has been demonstrated to ameliorate chronic colitis through the reduction of inflammation agent production on murine colonic epithelial cells [6]; protect gastric mucosal and reduce the acetic acid-induced gastric ulcer in animals [7, 8]; potentially prevent human gastric cancer and gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid lymphoma by protection of the adhesion of Helicobacter pylori to gastric cells [9] and significantly inhibit the growth of peripheral blood mononuclear cells without reduction of normal peripheral blood mononuclear cells in patients with adult T cell leukemia (ATL), suggesting that fucoidan can be a potentially useful therapeutic agent for ATL patients [10].

An excellent study published in the one of the most important medical journals in its field---Cancer Research, showed that the time to carcinogen-induced mammary tumor was significantly delayed in female animals who were pretreated with a fucoidan fraction extracted from Laminaria japonica (5% in diet) for thirty days. The median time for the tumor to be detected was 11 weeks in the treated group versus 19 weeks in the control group. [11] The study in vitro investigated fucoidan extracted from the Laminaria abyssalis on the human T cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1)-induced syncytium formation on HeLa cells which contacted with the infected T cells. HTLV-1 is the virus that affects the immune system and is associated with a particular leukemia/lymphoma. This significant result showed a purified sulphated polysaccharide is able to inhibit the cell-to-cell contact essential for the spreading of the HTLV-1. [12]
Fucoidan from Sporophyll of Undaria pinnatifida (Mekabu fucoidan) has shown potent antiviral activities to inhibit tumor growth [13] and reduce allergic inflammation. [14] Scientists in Japan found that Mekabu has bioactivity against herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), HSV-2, and human cytomegalovirus (CMV). [15] Another group of Japanese scientists revealed that compared with non-treated mice, the survival of tumor-bearing mice was prolonged if Mekabu was administered before tumor cell inoculation. They concluded that the anti-tumor effect appears to be mediated by IFN-gamma-activated NK cells. [13] Scientists also demonstrated Mekabu fucoidan augmented immune system by the enhancement of both type 1 and type II T-helper (Th1 and Th2) cell functions, suggesting that Mekabu might be useful for treating allergic inflammation.[14]

References

1. Berteau, O., Mulloy, B. Sulfated fucans, fresh perspectives: Structures, functions, biological properties of sulphated fucans and overview of enzymes active towards this class of polysaccharide (Review). Glycobiology 2003, 13(6): 29R-40R.

2. Shibata, H., Kimura-Takagi, I., Nagaoka, M. et al. Properties of fucoidan from Cladosiphon okamuranus Tokida in gastric mucosal protection. Biofactors 2000, 11(4): 235-45.

3. Chevolot L, et al. Further data on the structure of brown seaweed fucans: relationships with anticoagulant activity. Carbohydr Res. 1999 Jun 30;319(1-4):15465.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=11269406&query_hl=16&itool=pubmed_DocSum

4. Blondin C <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Search&itool=pubmed_AbstractPlus&term=%22Blondin+C%22%5BAuthor%5D>, Chaubet F <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Search&itool=pubmed_AbstractPlus&term=%22Chaubet+F%22%5BAuthor%5D>, Nardella A <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Search&itool=pubmed_AbstractPlus&term=%22Nardella+A%22%5BAuthor%5D>, Sinquin C <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Search&itool=pubmed_AbstractPlus&term=%22Sinquin+C%22%5BAuthor%5D>, Jozefonvicz J <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Search&itool=pubmed_AbstractPlus&term=%22Jozefonvicz+J%22%5BAuthor%5D>: Relationshiops between chemical characteristics and anticomplementary activity of fucans. Biomaterials. <javascript:AL_get(this,%20'jour',%20'Biomaterials.');> 1996 Mar;17(6):597-603

5. Patel, M.K., Mulloy, B., Gallagher, K.L., O'Brien, L., and Hughes, A.D.: The antimitogenic action of the sulphated polysaccharide fucoidan differs from heparin in human vascular smooth muscle cells. Thromb. Haemost., 2002: 87: 149-154.

6.Matsumoto S., et al. Fucoidan derived from Cladosiphon okamuranus Tokida ameliorates murine chronic colitis through the down-regulation of interleukin-6 production on colonic epithelial cells. Clin Exp Immunol. 2004 Jun;136(3):432-9.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=15147344&query_hl=2&itool=pubmed_docsum

7. Shibata H, et al. Effect of oligofucose derivatives on acetic acid-induced gastric ulcer in rats. Biomed Mater Eng. 2001: 11(1):55-61,
http://iospress.metapress.com/(gnrjqy2nsyb0eq55fvktjl45)/app/home/contribution.asp?referrer=parent&backto=issue,6,7;journal,29,42;linkingpublicationresults,1:103145,1

8. Shibata H, et al. Properties of fucoidan from Cladosiphon okamuranus tokida in gastric mucosal protection. Biofactors.2000;11(4):235-45.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=11270504&query_hl=8&itool=pubmed_DocSum

9. Shibata H, et al. Inhibitory effect of Cladosiphon fucoidan on the adhesion of Helicobacter pylori to human gastric cells.J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo). 1999 Jun;45(3):325-36.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=10524351&query_hl=7&itool=pubmed_docsum

10. Haneji K, et al. Fucoidan extracted from Cladosiphon okamuranus Tokida induces apoptosis of human T-cell leukemia virus type 1-infected T-cell lines and primary adult T-cell leukemia cells. Nutr Cancer. 2005;52(2):189-201.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=16201850&query_hl=12&itool=pubmed_DocSum

11. Teas J, et al. Dietary seaweed (Laminaria) and mammary carcinogenesis in rats. Cancer Res. 1984 Jul;44(7):2758-61.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=6426785&query_hl=22&itool=pubmed_docsum

12. Romanos MT, et al. A sulphated fucan from the Laminaria abyssalis inhibits the human T cell lymphotropic virus type 1-induced syncytium formation in HeLa cells. Antivir Chem Chemother. 2002 Jul;13(4):219-21.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=12495209&query_hl=26&itool=pubmed_DocSum

13. Maruyama H, et al. Antitumor activity and immune response of Mekabu fucoidan extracted from Sporophyll of Undaria pinnatifida. In Vivo. 2003 May-Jun;17(3):245-9.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=12929574&query_hl=28&itool=pubmed_docsum

14. Maruyama H, et al. Suppression of Th2 immune responses by mekabu fucoidan from Undaria pinnatifida sporophylls. Int Arch Allergy Immunol. 2005 Aug;137(4):289-94. Epub 2005 Jun 17.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=15970637&query_hl=28&itool=pubmed_docsum

15. Lee JB, et al. Novel antiviral fucoidan from sporophyll of Undaria pinnatifida (Mekabu). Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo).2004 Sep;52(9):1091-4.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=15340195&query_hl=30&itool=pubmed_docsum

More references

Riou D, et al. Antitumor and antiproliferative effects of a fucan extracted from ascophyllum nodosum against a nonsmall-cell bronchopulmonary carcinoma line. Anticancer Res. 1996 May-Jun;16(3A):1213-8.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=8702239&query_hl=14&itool=pubmed_DocSum

Chida K, et al. Antitumor activity of a crude fucoidan fraction prepared from the roots of kelp (Laminaria species). Kitasato Arch Exp Med. 1987 Jun;60(1-2):33-9.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=3669501&query_hl=20&itool=pubmed_DocSum

Pomin VH, et al. Selective cleavage and anticoagulant activity of a sulfated fucan: stereospecific removal of a 2-sulfate ester from the polysaccharide by mild acid hydrolysis, preparation of oligosaccharides, and heparin cofactor II-dependent anticoagulant activity. Glycobiology. 2005 Apr;15(4):369-81. Epub 2004 Dec 8.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=15590773&query_hl=24&itool=pubmed_DocSum