Fucoidan from Fucus vesiculosus Protects against Alcohol-Induced Liver Damage by Modulating Inflammatory Mediators in Mice and HepG2 Cells

Abstract

Fucoidan is an l-fucose-enriched sulfated polysaccharide isolated from brown algae and marine invertebrates. In this study, we investigated the protective effect of fucoidan from Fucus vesiculosus on alcohol-induced murine liver damage. Liver injury was induced by oral administration of 25% alcohol with or without fucoidan (30 mg/kg or 60 mg/kg) for seven days. Alcohol administration increased serum aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase levels, but these increases were suppressed by the treatment of fucoidan. Transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1), a liver fibrosis-inducing factor, was highly expressed in the alcohol-fed group and human hepatoma HepG2 cell; however, the increase in TGF-β1 expression was reduced following fucoidan administration. Treatment with fucoidan was also found to significantly reduce the production of inflammation-promoting cyclooygenase-2 and nitric oxide, while markedly increasing the expression of the hepatoprotective enzyme, hemeoxygenase-1, on murine liver and HepG2 cells. Taken together, the antifibrotic and anti-inflammatory effects of fucoidan on alcohol-induced liver damage may provide valuable insights into developing new therapeutics or interventions.

Hepatoprotective Effects of Antrodia cinnamomea: The Modulation of Oxidative Stress Signaling in a Mouse Model of Alcohol‐Induced Acute Liver Injury

“…The process of model development and drug treatment was similar to previous studies with some modification [30–32]. During the treatment period, after overnight fasting, all the mice except for those in the no-alcohol control group were orally given 9.52 g/kg white wine (Beijing Shunxin Agricultural Co. Ltd, China) with an alcohol degree of 56° once a day at 9:00 A.M. Once a day at 4:00 P.M., the mice in the positive control group were orally treated with 63 mg/kg silymarin (Sil; Madaus AG, Germany), which is a putative hepatoprotective agent that is extracted from the seeds of Silybum marianum .…”

Therapies from Fucoidan: An Update

“…This research places fucoidan as a candidate not only for weight control products, but for potentially improving cardiovascular and liver health. In related research, alcohol-induced fatty liver disease was investigated by Lim et al [ 106 ]. Orally delivered Fucus vesiculosus fucoidan induced the protective hemoxygenase enzyme, in addition to reducing inflammatory markers in a mouse model.…”

The CH<SUB>2</SUB>Cl<SUB>2</SUB><i> </i>Extract Fraction from<i> Ficus erecta</i> var. <i>sieboldii</i> (Miq.) King Suppresses Lipopolysaccharide-mediated Inflammatory Responses in Raw264.7 Cells

“…After Raw264.7 cells were subjected to a 2 h pretreatment with various F. erecta fractions of different doses (0-100 µg/mL), 1 µg/mL of LPS was added, and NO was measured as the amount of nitrite released, as described previously [14]. Briefly, 100 µL of supernatant was combined with an equal volume of Griess reagent (1% sulfanilamide, 0.1% naphthalenediamine dihydrochloride, 2.5% phosphoric acid) and incubated at room temperature for 10 min.…”

“…Protein extraction and immunoblotting were performed as previously described [14]. Briefly, the cells were washed twice with cold Dulbecco's Phosphate-Buffered Saline (DPBS) and then homogenized in the presence of 0.025 mol•L -1 of radioimmunoprecipitation assay (RIPA) buffer (Tris-HCl pH 7.6, 0.15 mol•L -1 NaCl, 1% NP-40, 1% sodium deoxycholate, 0.1% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), and protease/phosphatase inhibitor cocktails; Sigma-Aldrich).…”