Comparative study on neuroprotective activities of fucoidans from Fucus vesiculosus and Undaria pinnatifida

This study investigated the neuroprotective activities of five different fucoidan samples with different chemical compositions prepared from Fucus vesiculosus (FE, FF, and S) and Undaria pinnatifida (UE and UF) to determine if they reduced aggregation or cytotoxicity of Aβ₁₋₄₂ in neuronal PC-12 cells. Only fucoidans S, UE, and UF showed anti-aggregation effects against Aβ₁₋₄₂, as determined using Thioflavin T (ThT) fluorometric fibrillisation kinetics and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of fibril morphology. However, all five fucoidan samples reduced the cytotoxicity of both Aβ₁₋₄₂ and hydrogen peroxide in neuronal PC-12 cells and demonstrated inhibition of apoptosis induced by Aβ₁₋₄₂. Three fucoidan samples (FF, UE and UF) showed significant activity in enhancing neurite outgrowth. Fucoidan from different seaweed sources and with varying chemical compositions demonstrate a range of neuroprotective activities that may have potential to alter Aβ₁₋₄₂ neurotoxicity in Alzheimer's disease.Mousa Alghazwi, Scott Smid, Samuel Karpiniec, Wei Zhan

Neuroprotective activities of natural products from marine macroalgae during 1999–2015

Published online: 5 August 2016This review focuses on macroalgae-derived compounds with neuroprotective activity that may provide lead compounds for the prevention and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s disease. Coverage is provided from 1999 to 2015. A total of 99 pure compounds have been reported. The main in vitro bioactivities of these compounds include inhibition of beta amyloid protein (Aβ), inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE), reduction in oxidative stress, anti-inflammatory activity, inhibition of kinases, enhancement of neurite outgrowth and the reduction in dopaminergic neurotoxicity. The majority of these bioactive compounds are derived from Phaeophyceae (57.6 %), followed by Rhodophyta (28.3 %) and Chlorophyta (14.1 %). This review presents valuable knowledge on macroalgae-derived compounds and their known pathways of neuroprotection to further explore the potential of these compounds in preventing and treating neurodegenerative diseases.Mousa Alghazwi, Yen Qi Kan, Wei Zhang, Wei Ping Gai, Mary J. Garson, Scott Smi