Physicochemical Characterization of Hizikia fusiforme Polysaccharide and Its Hypoglycemic Activity via Mediating Insulin-Stimulated Blood Glucose Utilization of Skeletal Muscle in Type 2 Diabetic Rats

Bioactivities of the Popular Edible Brown Seaweed Sargassum fusiforme: A Review

Sargassum fusiforme has a wide range of active constituents (such as polysaccharides, sterols, polyphenols, terpenes, amino acids, trace elements, etc.) and is an economically important brown algae with a long history. In recent years, S. fusiforme has been intensively studied and has attracted wide attention in the fields of agriculture, environment, medicine, and functional food. In this review, we reviewed the current research status of S. fusiforme at home and abroad over the past decade by searching Web of science, Google Scholar, and other databases, and structurally analyzed the active components of S. fusiforme, and on this basis, we focused on summarizing the cutting-edge research and scientific issues on the role of various active substances in S. fusiforme in exerting antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, antidiabetic, immunomodulatory, antiviral antibacterial, and anticoagulant effects. The mechanisms by which different substances exert active effects were further summarized by exploring different experimental models and are shown visually. It provides a reference to promote further development and comprehensive utilization of S. fusiforme resources.

Effects of Hizikia fusiforme polysaccharides on innate immunity and disease resistance of the mud crab Scylla paramamosain

In this study, we extracted the polysaccharides from Hizikia fusiforme (HFPs) and evaluated their effects on the immune response of the mud crab Scylla paramamosain. Compositional analysis revealed that HFPs were composed mainly of mannuronic acid (49.05%) and fucose (22.29%) as sulfated polysaccharides, and the sugar chain structure was β-type. These results indicated that HFPs have potential antioxidant and immunostimulation activity in vivo or in vitro assays. Through this research, we found that HFPs inhibited viral replication in white spot syndrome virus (WSSV)-infected crabs and promoted phagocytosis of Vibrio alginolyticus by hemocytes. Quantitative PCR results showed that HFPs up-regulated the expression levels of astakine, crustin, myosin, MCM7, STAT, TLR, JAK, CAP, and p53 in crab hemocytes. HFPs also promoted the activities of superoxide dismutase and acid phosphatase and the hemolymph antioxidant activities of crabs. HFPs maintained peroxidase activity after WSSV challenge, thereby providing protection against oxidative damage caused by the virus. HFPs also promoted apoptosis of hemocytes after WSSV infection. In addition, HFPs significantly enhanced the survival rate of WSSV-infected crabs. All results confirmed that HFPs improved the innate immunity of S. paramamosain by enhancing the expression of antimicrobial peptides, antioxidant enzyme activity, phagocytosis, and apoptosis. Therefore, HFPs have potential for use as therapeutic or preventive agents to regulate the innate immunity of mud crabs and protect them against microbial infection.

Preparation, Characterization and Anti-Complementary Activity of Three Novel Polysaccharides from Cordyceps militaris

This investigation focuses on the three novel polysaccharides from Cordyceps militaris and then discusses their characterization and anti-complementary activity. The three polysaccharides from C. militaris (CMP-1, CMP-2 and CMP-3) were prepared using a DEAE-52 cellulose column. The HPLC, HPGPC, FT-IR and Congo red analyses were used to characterize their monosaccharides, molecular weight and stereo conformation, which demonstrated that the three polysaccharides were homogenous polysaccharides with different molecular weights and were composed of at least ten monosaccharides with different molar ratios, and all had a triple-helix conformation. The evaluation of anti-complementary activity demonstrated that the three polysaccharides significantly inhibited complement activation through the classical pathway and alternative pathway. Preliminary mechanism studies indicated that CMP-1, CMP-2 and CMP-3 acted with C2, C5, C9, factor B, factor B, and P components in the overactivation cascade of the complement system. The analysis of the Pearson correlation and network confirmed that the ribose, glucuronic acid and galacturonic acid composition were negatively correlated with the anti-complementary activity of polysaccharides. These results suggested that the three novel polysaccharides are potential candidates for anti-complementary drugs.

The Physiological Role of Irisin in the Regulation of Muscle Glucose Homeostasis

Irisin is a myokine that primarily targets adipose tissue, where it increases energy expenditure and contributes to the beneficial effects of exercise through the browning of white adipose tissue. As our knowledge has deepened in recent years, muscle has been found to be a major target organ for irisin as well. Several studies have attempted to characterize the role of irisin in muscle to improve glucose metabolism through mechanisms such as reducing insulin resistance. Although they are very intriguing reports, some contradictory results make it difficult to grasp the whole picture of the action of irisin on muscle. In this review, we attempted to organize the current knowledge of the role of irisin in muscle glucose metabolism. We discussed the direct effects of irisin on glucose metabolism in three types of muscle, that is, skeletal muscle, smooth muscle, and the myocardium. We also describe irisin’s effects on mitochondria and its interactions with other hormones. Furthermore, to consider the relationship between the irisin-induced improvement of glucose metabolism in muscle and systemic disorders of glucose metabolism, we reviewed the results from animal interventional studies and human clinical studies.

Hizikia fusiformis: Pharmacological and Nutritional Properties

The brown seaweed Hizikia fusiformis (syn. Sargassum fusiforme), commonly known as “Hijiki”, has been utilized in traditional cuisine and medicine in East Asian countries for several centuries. H. fusiformis has attracted much attention owing to its rich nutritional and pharmacological properties. However, there has been no comprehensive review of the nutritional and pharmacological properties of H. fusiformis. The aim of this systematic review was to provide detailed information from the published literature on the nutritional and pharmacological properties of H. fusiformis. A comprehensive online search of the literature was conducted by accessing databases, such as PubMed, SpringerLink, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar, for published studies on the nutritional and pharmacological properties of H. fusiformis between 2010 and 2021. A total of 916 articles were screened from all the databases using the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses method. Screening based on the setdown criteria resulted in 59 articles, which were used for this review. In this review, we found that there has been an increase in the number of publications on the pharmacological and nutritional properties of H. fusiformis over the last 10 years. In the last 10 years, studies have focused on the proximate, mineral, polysaccharide, and bioactive compound composition, and pharmacological properties, such as antioxidant, anticancer, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, photoprotective, neuroprotective, antidiabetic, immunomodulatory, osteoprotective, and gastroprotective properties of H. fusiformis extracts. Overall, further studies and strategies are required to develop H. fusiformis as a promising resource for the nutrition and pharmacological industries.