Increased fucoxanthin in Chaetoceros calcitrans extract exacerbates apoptosis in liver cancer cells via multiple targeted cellular pathways

Genomic and immune landscape in hepatocellular carcinoma: Implications for personalized therapeutics

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a globally prevalent malignancy, marked by genetic heterogeneity and intricate tumor microenvironment interactions. In this study, we undertook a detailed single-cell analysis of six active HCC patients, highlighting strong correlations between gene expression levels and cellular characteristics. UMAP clustering revealed seven distinct cell categories with associated gene expressions. A divergence was observed in tumor cells into high and low cuproptosis groups, each associated with distinct pathways: oxidative stress for the high cuproptosis group and inflammatory and angiogenesis pathways for the low group. CellChat analysis on the TCGA-LIHC cohort displayed unique intercellular interactions among hepatocytes, T cells, and other cells, with pathways like COLLAGEN and VEGF being pivotal. Functional enrichment analyses exposed pathways enriched between cuproptosis groups, with KEGG emphasizing diseases like Parkinson's. COX survival analysis identified key prognostic genes, revealing distinct survival rates between risk groups in TCGA and GSE14520 cohorts. Mutation data highlighted missense mutations, with TTN, TP53, and CTNNB1 being the most mutated in HCC. Immune infiltration analysis via CIBERSORTx indicated differences between risk groups in NK cells, neutrophils, and other cells. Our drug sensitivity investigation showed significant correlations between model genes and drug responsiveness, emphasizing the importance of patient risk stratification for therapeutic approaches. Further, ATP6V1G1 was recognized in its role in apoptosis and migration in HCC cells. In conclusion, our findings illuminate the complexities of HCC progression, potential predictive genetic markers for drug response, and the pivotal role of ATP6V1G1, suggesting avenues for targeted therapeutic strategies in HCC.

Bridging artificial intelligence and fucoxanthin for the recovery and quantification from microalgae

Fucoxanthin is a carotenoid that possesses various beneficial medicinal properties for human well-being. However, the current extraction technologies and quantification techniques are still lacking in terms of cost validation, high energy consumption, long extraction time, and low yield production. To date, artificial intelligence (AI) models can assist and improvise the bottleneck of fucoxanthin extraction and quantification process by establishing new technologies and processes which involve big data, digitalization, and automation for efficiency fucoxanthin production. This review highlights the application of AI models such as artificial neural network (ANN) and adaptive neuro fuzzy inference system (ANFIS), capable of learning patterns and relationships from large datasets, capturing non-linearity, and predicting optimal conditions that significantly impact the fucoxanthin extraction yield. On top of that, combining metaheuristic algorithm such as genetic algorithm (GA) can further improve the parameter space and discovery of optimal conditions of ANN and ANFIS models, which results in high R2 accuracy ranging from 98.28% to 99.60% after optimization. Besides, AI models such as support vector machine (SVM), convolutional neural networks (CNNs), and ANN have been leveraged for the quantification of fucoxanthin, either computer vision based on color space of images or regression analysis based on statistical data. The findings are reliable when modeling for the concentration of pigments with high R2 accuracy ranging from 66.0% - 99.2%. This review paper has reviewed the feasibility and potential of AI for the extraction and quantification purposes, which can reduce the cost, accelerate the fucoxanthin yields, and development of fucoxanthin-based products.

The antioxidant, wound healing properties and proteomic analysis of water extracts from the tropical cyanobacteria, Nostoc NIES-2111_MUM004

Cyanobacteria bioactive compounds are chemical treasure troves for product discovery and development. The wound healing effects and antioxidant capacities of water extracts from Nostoc NIES-2111_MUM004 were evaluated via in vitro wound scratch assay and three antioxidant assays respectively. Results showed that the water extracts were protein-rich and exhibited good antioxidant properties in ABTS radical scavenging (11.27 ± 0.205 mg TAE g^-1 extract), Ferric reducing antioxidant power (1652.71 ± 110.71 mg TAE g^-1 extract) and β-carotene bleaching assay (354.90 ± 31.80 mg TAE g^-1 extract). Also, extracts were non-cytotoxic in concentrations up to 250 µg/mL as reflected in cytotoxicity assay. Importantly, water extracts showed considerable proliferation and migration activity at 125 µg/mL with wound closure rate as high as 42.67%. Statistical correlation revealed no significant relationship (p > 0.05) between protein fraction and the wound healing properties, confirming that phycobiliproteins were not solely responsible for wound healing activities. Subsequent Q-TOF-LCMS analysis identified six protein families involved in enhancing the proliferation and migration of epithelial cells. These findings are antecedent in the uncovering of continuous supplies of bioactive compounds from new and sustainable sources. Ultimately, enriching the microalgae menu for applications in pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and cosmeceuticals.

Reconciling the Gap between Medications and their Potential Leads: The Role of Marine Metabolites in the Discovery of New Anticancer Drugs: A Comprehensive Review

One-third of people will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives, making it the second leading cause of death globally each year after cardiovascular disease. The complex anticancer molecular mechanisms have been understood clearly with the advent of improved genomic, proteomic, and bioinformatics. Our understanding of the complex interplay between numerous genes and regulatory genetic components within cells explaining how this might lead to malignant phenotypes has greatly expanded. It was discovered that epigenetic resistance and a lack of multitargeting drugs were highlighted as major barriers to cancer treatment, spurring the search for innovative anticancer treatments. It was discovered that epigenetic resistance and a lack of multitargeting drugs were highlighted as major barriers to cancer treatment, spurring the search for innovative anticancer treatments. Many popular anticancer drugs, including irinotecan, vincristine, etoposide, and paclitaxel, have botanical origins. Actinomycin D and mitomycin C come from bacteria, while bleomycin and curacin come from marine creatures. However, there is a lack of research evaluating the potential of algae-based anticancer treatments, especially in terms of their molecular mechanisms. Despite increasing interest in the former, and the promise of the compounds to treat tumours that have been resistant to existing treatment, pharmaceutical development of these compounds has lagged. Thus, the current review focuses on the key algal sources that have been exploited as anticancer therapeutic leads, including their biological origins, phytochemistry, and the challenges involved in converting such leads into effective anticancer drugs.

Advances in Fucoxanthin Research for the Prevention and Treatment of Inflammation-Related Diseases

Owing to its unique structure and properties, fucoxanthin (FX), a carotenoid, has attracted significant attention. There have been numerous studies that demonstrate FX's anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antitumor, and anti-obesity properties against inflammation-related diseases. There is no consensus, however, regarding the molecular mechanisms underlying this phenomenon. In this review, we summarize the potential health benefits of FX in inflammatory-related diseases, from the perspective of animal and cellular experiments, to provide insights for future research on FX. Previous work in our lab has demonstrated that FX remarkably decreased LPS-induced inflammation and improved survival in septic mice. Further investigation of the activity of FX against a wide range of diseases will require new approaches to uncover its molecular mechanism. This review will provide an outline of the current state of knowledge regarding FX application in the clinical setting and suggest future directions to implement FX as a therapeutic ingredient in pharmaceutical sciences in order to develop it into a treatment strategy against inflammation-associated disorders.

Fucoxanthin induces apoptosis and reverses epithelial-mesenchymal transition via inhibiting Wnt/β-catenin pathway in lung adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

Invasion and metastasis are hallmark characteristics of cancer and the main causes of death in cancer patients. Studies have shown that epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays significant role in tumor invasion and metastasis. Fucoxanthin, a carotenoid found in seaweeds, has been proved to have anti-tumor effects. Our study aimed to research the role of fucoxanthin on proliferation, apoptosis, migration and EMT of two types of LUAD cells.

METHODS

Cell migration and invasion were examined by Wound-healing and Transwell assays. Western blot assay was used to detect the expression levels of apoptosis-related proteins, EMT-related proteins and β-catenin. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of β-catenin in human lung adenocarcinoma tissues and corresponding para-cancerous tissues.

RESULTS

Our results revealed that fucoxanthin depressed the proliferation and induced apoptosis in A549 and NCI-H1299 cells. Moreover, fucoxanthin reversed TGF-β1-induced EMT and cell motility. Meanwhile, we disclosed that fucoxanthin and XAV939 had similar effect on β-catenin, EMT protein and cell motility. What is more, immunohistochemical results revealed that the high expression rate and abnormal expression rate of β-catenin in cancer tissues was significantly higher than that in para-cancerous tissues.

CONCLUSION

Taken together, the findings of our research highlight a novel role for fucoxanthin in NSCLC cells, which might be a potentially effective anti-tumor agent for the treatment of LUAD patients.

Fucoxanthin: A Promising Phytochemical on Diverse Pharmacological Targets

Fucoxanthin (FX) is a special carotenoid having an allenic bond in its structure. FX is extracted from a variety of algae and edible seaweeds. It has been proved to contain numerous health benefits and preventive effects against diseases like diabetes, obesity, liver cirrhosis, malignant cancer, etc. Thus, FX can be used as a potent source of both pharmacological and nutritional ingredient to prevent infectious diseases. In this review, we gathered the information regarding the current findings on antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, skin protective, anti-obesity, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, and other properties of FX including its bioavailability and stability characteristics. This review aims to assist further biochemical studies in order to develop further pharmaceutical assets and nutritional products in combination with FX and its various metabolites.

Brown Algae as Functional Food Source of Fucoxanthin: A Review

Fucoxanthin is an algae-specific xanthophyll of aquatic carotenoid. It is prevalent in brown seaweed because it functions as a light-harvesting complex for algal photosynthesis and photoprotection. Its exceptional chemical structure exhibits numerous biological activities that benefit human health. Due to these valuable properties, fucoxanthin's potential as a potent source for functional food, feed, and medicine is being explored extensively today. This article has thoroughly reviewed the availability and biosynthesis of fucoxanthin in the brown seaweed, as well as the mechanism behind it. We included the literature findings concerning the beneficial bioactivities of fucoxanthin such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-obesity, antidiabetic, anticancer, and other potential activities. Last, an additional view on its potential as a functional food ingredient has been discussed to facilitate a broader application of fucoxanthin as a promising bioactive compound.

A Systematic Review on Marine Algae-Derived Fucoxanthin: An Update of Pharmacological Insights

Fucoxanthin, belonging to the xanthophyll class of carotenoids, is a natural antioxidant pigment of marine algae, including brown macroalgae and diatoms. It represents 10% of the total carotenoids in nature. The plethora of scientific evidence supports the potential benefits of nutraceutical and pharmaceutical uses of fucoxanthin for boosting human health and disease management. Due to its unique chemical structure and action as a single compound with multi-targets of health effects, it has attracted mounting attention from the scientific community, resulting in an escalated number of scientific publications from January 2017 to February 2022. Fucoxanthin has remained the most popular option for anti-cancer and anti-tumor activity, followed by protection against inflammatory, oxidative stress-related, nervous system, obesity, hepatic, diabetic, kidney, cardiac, skin, respiratory and microbial diseases, in a variety of model systems. Despite much pharmacological evidence from in vitro and in vivo findings, fucoxanthin in clinical research is still not satisfactory, because only one clinical study on obesity management was reported in the last five years. Additionally, pharmacokinetics, safety, toxicity, functional stability, and clinical perspective of fucoxanthin are substantially addressed. Nevertheless, fucoxanthin and its derivatives are shown to be safe, non-toxic, and readily available upon administration. This review will provide pharmacological insights into fucoxanthin, underlying the diverse molecular mechanisms of health benefits. However, it requires more activity-oriented translational research in humans before it can be used as a multi-target drug.

Optimisation of Biomass Production and Nutritional Value of Two Marine Diatoms (Bacillariophyceae), Skeletonema costatum and Chaetoceros calcitrans

Simple Summary

One of the key constraints that is associated with the production of microalgae biomass and products, is the low yields that are associated with high production costs in microalgae cultivation units. Therefore, the aim of the present work was to improve the biomass productivity of two high-value diatom species, Skeletonema costatum and Chaetoceros calcitrans. To do so, the culture medium that was supplied to the cultures was optimised in a stepwise process, regarding the nutrient’s silicate, nitrate, phosphorus, iron, and micronutrients. For both diatoms, the results that were obtained revealed a significant increase in biomass productivity as well as an improved biochemical profile regarding increased omega-3 fatty acids contents. With this work, the optimise culture media was established for each diatom, thus providing a strategy for lower production costs that were reflected in higher productivities with higher biomass quality. Ultimately this will help improve the application of S. costatum and C. calcitrans in the aquaculture and nutraceutical industries.

Abstract

S. costatum and C. calcitrans are two cosmopolitan high-value centric diatoms, with a rich nutritional profile. The following work optimised the culture medium of S. costatum and C. calcitrans cultures, respectively, in a stepwise process as follows: 2.4 mM and 1.2 mM of silicate, 4 mM of nitrate, 100 µM of phosphate, 20 and 80 µM iron, and 0.5 mL L⁻¹ of micronutrients. The results that were obtained revealed an increase in biomass productivity with a 1.8- and 3.2-fold increase in biomass that was produced by S. costatum and C. calcitrans, respectively. The biochemical profile showed an increase in high-value PUFAs such as 2.6-fold and 2.3-fold increase in EPA for S. costatum and C. calcitrans, respectively, whilst a 2.6-fold increase in DHA was detected in S. costatum cultures. The present work provides the basic tools for the industrial cultivation of S. costatum and C. calcitrans with enhanced productivity as well as improved biomass quality, two factors which are highly relevant for a more effective application of these diatoms to aquaculture and nutraceutical production.

Cancer Chemopreventive Role of Dietary Terpenoids by Modulating Keap1-Nrf2-ARE Signaling System—A Comprehensive Update

ROS, RNS, and carcinogenic metabolites generate excessive oxidative stress, which changes the basal cellular status and leads to epigenetic modification, genomic instability, and initiation of cancer. Epigenetic modification may inhibit tumor-suppressor genes and activate oncogenes, enabling cells to have cancer promoting properties. The nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a transcription factor that in humans is encoded by the NFE2L2 gene, and is activated in response to cellular stress. It can regulate redox homoeostasis by expressing several cytoprotective enzymes, including NADPH quinine oxidoreductase, heme oxygenase-1, UDP-glucuronosyltransferase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione-S-transferase, etc. There is accumulating evidence supporting the idea that dietary nutraceuticals derived from commonly used fruits, vegetables, and spices have the ability to produce cancer chemopreventive activity by inducing Nrf2-mediated detoxifying enzymes. In this review, we discuss the importance of these nutraceuticals in cancer chemoprevention and summarize the role of dietary terpenoids in this respect. This approach was taken to accumulate the mechanistic function of these terpenoids to develop a comprehensive understanding of their direct and indirect roles in modulating the Keap1-Nrf2-ARE signaling system.

The Critical Studies of Fucoxanthin Research Trends from 1928 to June 2021: A Bibliometric Review

Fucoxanthin is a major carotenoid in brown macroalgae and diatoms that possesses a broad spectrum of health benefits. This review evaluated the research trends of the fucoxanthin field from 1928 to June 2021 using the bibliometric method. The present findings unraveled that the fucoxanthin field has grown quickly in recent years with a total of 2080 publications. Japan was the most active country in producing fucoxanthin publications. Three Japan institutes were listed in the top ten productive institutions, with Hokkaido University being the most prominent institutional contributor in publishing fucoxanthin articles. The most relevant subject area on fucoxanthin was the agricultural and biological sciences category, while most fucoxanthin articles were published in Marine Drugs. A total of four research concepts emerged based on the bibliometric keywords analysis: “bioactivities”, “photosynthesis”, “optimization of process’’, and “environment”. The “bioactivities” of fucoxanthin was identified as the priority in future research. The current analysis highlighted the importance of collaboration and suggested that global collaboration could be the key to valorizing and efficiently boosting the consumer acceptability of fucoxanthin. The present bibliometric analysis offers valuable insights into the research trends of fucoxanthin to construct a better future development of this treasurable carotenoid.

Anti-Inflammatory and Anticancer Effects of Microalgal Carotenoids

Acute inflammation is a key component of the immune system’s response to pathogens, toxic agents, or tissue injury, involving the stimulation of defense mechanisms aimed to removing pathogenic factors and restoring tissue homeostasis. However, uncontrolled acute inflammatory response may lead to chronic inflammation, which is involved in the development of many diseases, including cancer. Nowadays, the need to find new potential therapeutic compounds has raised the worldwide scientific interest to study the marine environment. Specifically, microalgae are considered rich sources of bioactive molecules, such as carotenoids, which are natural isoprenoid pigments with important beneficial effects for health due to their biological activities. Carotenoids are essential nutrients for mammals, but they are unable to synthesize them; instead, a dietary intake of these compounds is required. Carotenoids are classified as carotenes (hydrocarbon carotenoids), such as α- and β-carotene, and xanthophylls (oxygenate derivatives) including zeaxanthin, astaxanthin, fucoxanthin, lutein, α- and β-cryptoxanthin, and canthaxanthin. This review summarizes the present up-to-date knowledge of the anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities of microalgal carotenoids both in vitro and in vivo, as well as the latest status of human studies for their potential use in prevention and treatment of inflammatory diseases and cancer.

Fucoxanthin Exerts Anti-Tumor Activity on Canine Mammary Tumor Cells via Tumor Cell Apoptosis Induction and Angiogenesis Inhibition

Fucoxanthin is a carotenoid derived from brown algae. It is known to exhibit anticancer activity, including the promotion of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in several tumors. However, it remains unclear whether fucoxanthin exhibits anticancer activity against mammary gland tumors. In this study, we evaluated fucoxanthin activity against canine mammary tumor cells (CMT-U27) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) to investigate its effect on cell viability, migration, tube formation, and angiopoietin 2 (Ang2) expression. Our results showed that fucoxanthin induced apoptosis via caspase activation in CMT-U27 cells. In rat aortic ring assay, fucoxanthin suppressed endothelial cell sprouting. Furthermore, fucoxanthin inhibited tube formation and migration in HUVECs. The number of migrated cells was assessed using CMT-U27 cells. The results demonstrated that fucoxanthin exerted anti-angiogenic activity on HUVECs and CMT-U27 cells by promoting Ang2 expression. In conclusion, our results demonstrated that fucoxanthin induced tumor cell death and inhibited angiogenesis, suggesting that fucoxanthin could be considered as a promising therapeutic agent for canine mammary gland tumors.

Medicinal Prospects of Antioxidants From Algal Sources in Cancer Therapy

Though cancer therapeutics can successfully eradicate cancerous cells, the effectiveness of these medications is mostly restricted to several deleterious side effects. Therefore, to alleviate these side effects, antioxidant supplementation is often warranted, reducing reactive species levels and mitigating persistent oxidative damage. Thus, it can impede the growth of cancer cells while protecting the normal cells simultaneously. Moreover, antioxidant supplementation alone or in combination with chemotherapeutics hinders further tumor development, prevents chemoresistance by improving the response to chemotherapy drugs, and enhances cancer patients' quality of life by alleviating side effects. Preclinical and clinical studies have been revealed the efficacy of using phytochemical and dietary antioxidants from different sources in treating chemo and radiation therapy-induced toxicities and enhancing treatment effectiveness. In this context, algae, both micro and macro, can be considered as alternative natural sources of antioxidants. Algae possess antioxidants from diverse groups, which can be exploited in the pharmaceutical industry. Despite having nutritional benefits, investigation and utilization of algal antioxidants are still in their infancy. This review article summarizes the prospective anticancer effect of twenty-three antioxidants from microalgae and their potential mechanism of action in cancer cells, as well as usage in cancer therapy. In addition, antioxidants from seaweeds, especially from edible species, are outlined, as well.

Fucoxanthin induced apoptotic cell death in oral squamous carcinoma (KB) cells

Fucoxanthin (Fx) is an active compound commonly found in the many types of seaweed with numerous biological activities. The main goal of this investigation is to explore the effect of Fx against the cell proliferation, apoptotic induction and oxidative stress in the oral squamous (KB) cell line. Cytotoxicity of Fx was determined by MTT assay. The intracellular ROS production, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and apoptosis induction in KB cells were examined through DCFH-DA, Rhodamine-123 and DAPI, and dual staining techniques. Effect of Fx on the antioxidant enzymes and lipid peroxidation in the KB cells was studied through the standard procedures. Fx treated KB cells showed morphological changes and reduced cell survival, which is exhibited by the cytotoxic activity of 50 µM/ml (IC50) Fx against the KB cells. The Fx treatment considerably induced the apoptotosis cells (EB/AO) and decreased the MMP (Rh-123) in KB cells. Further, it was pointed out that there was an increased lipid peroxidation (LPO) with decreased antioxidants (CAT, SOD and GSH). These results concluded that Fx has the cytotoxic effect against KB cells and has the potential to induce the apoptosis via increased oxidative stress. Hence, the Fx can be a promising agent for the treatment of oral cancer and it may lead to the development of cancer therapeutics.

Meeting Sustainable Development Goals: Alternative Extraction Processes for Fucoxanthin in Algae

The ever-expanding human population puts tremendous pressure on global food security. With climate change threats lowering crop productivity and food nutritional quality, it is important to search for alternative and sustainable food sources. Microalgae are a promising carbon-neutral biomass with fast growth rate and do not compete with terrestrial crops for land use. More so, microalgae synthesize exclusive marine carotenoids shown to not only exert antioxidant activities but also anti-cancer properties. Unfortunately, the conventional method for fucoxanthin extraction is mainly based on solvent extraction, which is cheap but less environmentally friendly. With the emergence of greener extraction techniques, the extraction of fucoxanthin could adopt these strategies aligned to UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This is a timely review with a focus on existing fucoxanthin extraction processes, complemented with future outlook on the potential and limitations in alternative fucoxanthin extraction technologies. This review will serve as an important guide to the sustainable and environmentally friendly extraction of fucoxanthin and other carotenoids including but not limited to astaxanthin, lutein or zeaxanthin. This is aligned to the SDGs wherein it is envisaged that this review becomes an antecedent to further research work in extract standardization with the goal of meeting quality control and quality assurance benchmarks for future commercialization purposes.

Advances in Studies on the Pharmacological Activities of Fucoxanthin

Fucoxanthin is a natural carotenoid derived mostly from many species of marine brown algae. It is characterized by small molecular weight, is chemically active, can be easily oxidized, and has diverse biological activities, thus protecting cell components from ROS. Fucoxanthin inhibits the proliferation of a variety of cancer cells, promotes weight loss, acts as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent, interacts with the intestinal flora to protect intestinal health, prevents organ fibrosis, and exerts a multitude of other beneficial effects. Thus, fucoxanthin has a wide range of applications and broad prospects. This review focuses primarily on the latest progress in research on its pharmacological activity and underlying mechanisms.

Fucoxanthin, a Marine-Derived Carotenoid from Brown Seaweeds and Microalgae: A Promising Bioactive Compound for Cancer Therapy

Fucoxanthin is a well-known carotenoid of the xanthophyll family, mainly produced by marine organisms such as the macroalgae of the fucus genus or microalgae such as Phaeodactylum tricornutum. Fucoxanthin has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties but also several anticancer effects. Fucoxanthin induces cell growth arrest, apoptosis, and/or autophagy in several cancer cell lines as well as in animal models of cancer. Fucoxanthin treatment leads to the inhibition of metastasis-related migration, invasion, epithelial–mesenchymal transition, and angiogenesis. Fucoxanthin also affects the DNA repair pathways, which could be involved in the resistance phenotype of tumor cells. Moreover, combined treatments of fucoxanthin, or its metabolite fucoxanthinol, with usual anticancer treatments can support conventional therapeutic strategies by reducing drug resistance. This review focuses on the current knowledge of fucoxanthin with its potential anticancer properties, showing that fucoxanthin could be a promising compound for cancer therapy by acting on most of the classical hallmarks of tumor cells.

The carotenoid fucoxanthin can sensitize multidrug resistant cancer cells to doxorubicin via induction of apoptosis, inhibition of multidrug resistance proteins and metabolic enzymes

BACKGROUND

Multidrug resistance (MDR) causes failure of doxorubicin therapy of cancer cells, which develops after or during doxorubicin treatment resulting in cross-resistance to structurally and functionally-unrelated other anticancer drugs. MDR is multifactorial phenomenon associated with overexpression of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters, metabolic enzymes, impairment of apoptosis, and alteration of cell cycle checkpoints. The cancer-prevention of the dietary carotenoid; fucoxanthin (FUC) has been extensively explored. Nevertheless, the underlying mechanism of its action is not full elucidated.

HYPOTHESIS/PURPOSE

Investigation of the underlying mechanism of MDR reversal by the dietary carotenoid fucoxanthin (FUC) and its ability to enhance the doxorubicin (DOX) cytotoxicity in resistant breast (MCF-7/ADR), hepatic (HepG-2/ADR), and ovarian (SKOV-3/ADR) cell lines.

METHODS

The synergistic interaction of FUC and DOX was evaluated using several techniques, viz.; MTT assay, ABC transporter function assays using FACS and fluorimetry, enzyme activity via spectroscopy and luminescence assays, and apoptosis assay using FACS, and gene expression using RTPCR.

RESULTS

FUC (20 µM) synergistically enhanced the cytotoxicity of DOX and significantly reduced the dose of DOX (FR) in DOX resistant cells (MCF-7/ADR), hepatic (HepG-2/ADR), and ovarian (SKOV-3/ADR) to 8.42-(CI= 0.25), 6.28-(CI= 0.32), and 4.56-fold (CI=0.37) (P<0.001). FUC significantly increased the accumulation of DOX more than verapamil in resistant cells by 2.70, 2.67, and 3.95-fold of untreated cells (p<0.001), respectively. A FUC and DOX combination significantly increased the Rho123 accumulation higher than individual drugs by 2.36-, 2.38-, 1.89-fold verapamil effects in tested cells (p<0.001), respectively. The combination of the FUC and DOX decreased ABCC1, ABCG2, and ABCB1 expression. The FUC and DOX combination increased the levels and activity of caspases (CASP3, CASP8) and p53, while decreased the levels and activity of CYP3A4, GST, and PXR in resistant cancer cells. The combination induced early/late apoptosis to 91.9/5.4% compared with 0.0/0.7% of untreated control.

CONCLUSION

Our data suggests a new dietary and therapeutic approach of combining the FUC with DOX to overcome multidrug resistance in cancer cells. However, animal experiments should be conducted to confirm the findings before applying the results into clinical trials.

Fucoxanthin: A promising compound for human inflammation-related diseases

Fucoxanthin, a natural product of carotenoids, is a potential drug source obtained from marine algae. The special chemical structure of fucoxanthin has equipped it with a variety of biological activities. Several studies have indicated that fucoxanthin has a potential protective effect on a variety of inflammation-related diseases. This mechanism may be related to fucoxanthin's strong antioxidant capacity and gut microbiota regulation. The key molecules that require consideration include nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2, Akt serine/threonine kinase/phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase, extracellular signal-regulated kinase, adenosine monophosphate (AMP)-dependent protein kinase, cAMP response element binding protein, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptorγcoactivator-1α. The study summarizes the recent progress in the research based on the protective effect of fucoxanthin and its related molecular mechanism, in addition to the potential use of fucoxanthin as a promising compound for human inflammation-related diseases.