Natural substance from seaweed has strong antioxidant properties

Extended studies of fucoidan, a bioactive compound found in the cell walls of brown seaweed, confirm its potential to combat oxidative stress in future disease treatments—but it remains a long way from mass production and routine medical use.

Flinders University pharmacology experts, in collaboration with industry partners from the Hobart-based biotech company Marinova Pty Ltd, say mounting evidence of its potential for immune modulation, gut and digestive health, supplementary oncology treatments and skin care and dermal health warrants further testing to move toward human trials.

The findings are published in the journal Archives of Toxicology.

The new article reviewed 10 years of studies on fucoidan and found it had great potential as a therapy with multiple antioxidant effects.

“Studies over the past decade provide growing evidence that fucoidans merit serious consideration as oxidative stress–modulating agents,” says professor Arduino Mangoni, strategic professor and head of clinical pharmacology at Flinders University’s College of Medicine and Public Health.

“The research so far indicates that its positive effects could deliver benefits in liver, kidney, intestinal, skin and wound repair, along with selected neurodegenerative diseases—but we have a long way to go to unpack its potential.”

Flinders University research associate Dr. Jai Meyers says it takes many years or decades to bring a new drug to market—or a line of nutraceuticals or natural cosmetics to supermarket shelves—but fucoidan, as a bountiful marine polysaccharide, is already being farmed sustainably around the world.

“With further research, improved chemical understanding and better modeling, we could identify realistic disease targets to progress toward human trials,” says Meyers, from Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute (FHMRI) Clinical Pharmacology.

“One of the fastest paths to early human proof-of-concept trials could be local applications such as wound dressings, where local inflammatory status can be measured directly at a controlled location,” says Meyers.

“In systemic treatments for liver or kidney disease, for example, fucoidans would be more likely to be used as an additional therapy, so future translational studies should focus on how they assist healing or improve organ function as positive oxidative biomarkers.”

Fucoidans are sulfated, fucose-rich polysaccharides isolated mainly from brown seaweeds, including those from the genera Fucus, Laminaria/Saccharina, Sargassum, Undaria and Cladosiphon. The special qualities of fucoidans stem from their evolution as part of a complex defense mechanism for macroalgae survival in the marine environment.

Meyers, who led the study, has a background in molecular biology and cancer research and is currently working on joint projects with Marinova Pty Ltd and the Marine Bioproducts Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) to investigate the effects of marine bioproducts on cardiovascular health and breast cancer.

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