Fucoidan as bio-functional molecule: Insights into the anti-inflammatory potential and associated molecular mechanisms

Abstract

Fucoidan is a bio-functional polysaccharide, mainly reported in brown seaweed. Diverse potential of fucoidan has created intense interest to review the existing scientific literature, specifically focusing on prevention, associated molecular mechanisms in inflammation related ailments. Fucoidan inhibited inflammatory responses, both in vitro and in vivo experimental models. Inflammation is a complex response of living systems and involved in pathogenesis of different diseases, including arthritis, cancer and allergies. Sulfated glycans play a crucial role in inflammation related events such as they partake in the regulation of chemokines, rolling of leukocytes along the endothelium at inflammatory sites, and provide the structural assembly of subendothelial basement membrane. These functions make fucoidan as suitable exogenous sulfated polysaccharide to ameliorate the inflammatory events like regulating pro-inflammatory targets. Henceforth present study was carried out to provide the critical approach towards the anti-inflammatory properties and underlying molecular mechanisms on the basis of existing knowledge.

Keywords

• Fucoidan
• Seaweed
• Anti-inflammatory
• COX-2
• Matrix metalloproteinases