Evaluation of The Immunomodulatory in vivo Activity of Laminaria Hyperborea Fucoidan Relative to Commercial (1,3/1,6)-Β-D-Glucans from Yeast and Mushrooms

Abstract

A fucoidan with high ester sulfate content (38-40% by weight) has been isolated in a commercial scale process from Laminaria hyperborea harvested from the western coast of Norway. This is the first characterization of a fucoidan from this species of macroalgae. Ultra purified samples with negligible endotoxin levels were evaluated for cytokine expression in cultured human mononuclear cells. Initiators of the acute phase response were only moderately elevated while the chemotactic cytokine interleukin-8 increased significantly over baseline. Following oral dosing of mice with fucoidan, splenocytes showed significant increases in interleukin-2 expression and in phagocytic activity similar to effects by equivalent doses of yeast and mushroom derived (1,3/1,6)-β-D-glucans. Adaptive immunity was also affected by fucoidan as evidenced by significant increases in antibody titers in mice vaccinated with ovalbumin. Combination treatments of fucoidan together with a yeast beta-glucan showed additive effects, but gave no indication of synergy. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the effects of combinations of fucoidan with a beta-glucan in in vivo evaluations.