[Environment and immunity-Allergies and autoimmune diseases from epidemiological perspective]

The Anti-Allergic and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Phlorotannins from the Edible Brown Algae, Ecklonia sp. and Eisenia sp

Because the number of people suffering from allergies has significantly increased, improved ways of treating these conditions by medical, pharmaceutical, and dietary means are required. Large numbers of studies on allergy have been conducted, and many anti-allergic compounds have been found. Phenolic compounds from terrestrial plants, including catechins and flavonoids, possess anti-allergic properties. Although polyphenols are present in some brown algae, their anti-allergic activities were not studied in detail before the 1990s. The focus was on the algal polyphenols, collectively called phlorotannins (eg., eckol, 6,6′-bieckol, 8,8′-bieckol, dieckol, and phlorofucofuroeckol-A), and research was conducted to clarify their anti-allergic activities. This review summarizes the anti-allergic effects of phlorotannins isolated from the brown alga, Eisenia nipponica, and related reports by other research groups.