Gut health benefits of brown seaweed Ecklonia radiata and its polysaccharides demonstrated in vivo in a rat model

Suvimol Charoensiddhi; Michael A. Conlon; Pawadee Methacanon; Christopher M.M. Franco; Peng Su; Wei Zhang

Journal of Functional Foods (Oct 2017)

Gut health benefits of brown seaweed Ecklonia radiata and its polysaccharides demonstrated in vivo in a rat model

Suvimol Charoensiddhi,
Michael A. Conlon,
Pawadee Methacanon,
Christopher M.M. Franco,
Peng Su,
Wei Zhang

Affiliations

Suvimol Charoensiddhi: Centre for Marine Bioproducts Development, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Bedford Park, Adelaide, South Australia 5042, Australia; Medical Biotechnology, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Bedford Park, Adelaide, South Australia 5042, Australia
Michael A. Conlon: CSIRO Health and Biosecurity, Kintore Avenue, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia; Corresponding author at: CSIRO Health and Biosecurity, Kintore Avenue, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia. Tel.: +61 8 8303 8909; fax: +61 8 8303 8899.
Pawadee Methacanon: MTEC, National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), 114 Thailand Science Park, Pahonyothin Rd., Khlong Nueng, Klong Luang, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand
Christopher M.M. Franco: Centre for Marine Bioproducts Development, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Bedford Park, Adelaide, South Australia 5042, Australia; Medical Biotechnology, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Bedford Park, Adelaide, South Australia 5042, Australia
Peng Su: Centre for Marine Bioproducts Development, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Bedford Park, Adelaide, South Australia 5042, Australia; Medical Biotechnology, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Bedford Park, Adelaide, South Australia 5042, Australia
Wei Zhang: Centre for Marine Bioproducts Development, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Bedford Park, Adelaide, South Australia 5042, Australia; Medical Biotechnology, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Bedford Park, Adelaide, South Australia 5042, Australia; Corresponding author at: Centre for Marine Bioproducts Development, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Bedford Park, Adelaide, South Australia 5042, Australia. Tel.: +61 8 7221 8557; fax: +61 8 7221 8555.

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 37
pp. 676 – 684

Abstract

Read online

We examined the gut health potential of the brown seaweed Ecklonia radiata and its polysaccharides. Rats consumed an AIN-93G-based diet without addition (control) or containing 5% (w/w) of ground dried whole seaweed (WS) or dried powdered polysaccharide fraction (PF) of the seaweed for 1 wk. The PF consisted largely of fucoidan and alginate. PF treatment increased cecal digesta weight relative to the control (1.36 ± 0.17 vs 0.60 ± 0.06 g/100 g body weight). Beneficial cecal total short chain fatty acids increased in response to WS (213.25 ± 14.40 μmol) and PF (208.59 ± 23.32 μmol) compared with the control (159.96 ± 13.10 μmol). Toxic protein fermentation product levels were decreased by WS and PF. Cecal numbers of bacteria relevant to gut health were determined using quantitative real-time PCR. Relative to the control, numbers of butyrate-producing Faecalibacterium prausnitzii were increased by PF supplementation, whereas WS decreased numbers of potentially pathogenic Enterococcus. In conclusion, E. radiata-derived polysaccharides have promise as prebiotic supplements.

Published in Journal of Functional Foods

ISSN: 1756-4646 (Print); 2214-9414 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Technology: Home economics: Nutrition. Foods and food supply
Website: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-functional-foods

About the journal

Abstract

Keywords