Advances in Marine-Derived Fucoxanthin Studies

A special issue of Marine Drugs (ISSN 1660-3397). This special issue belongs to the section "Marine Biotechnology Related to Drug Discovery or Production".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2024 | Viewed by 8638

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Smart Farm Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Gangneung, Republic of Korea
Interests: marine carotenoid production; carotenoid biosynthesis and regulation; molecular nutrition of marine carotenoids; application of fucoxanthin in food science

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Guest Editor
Principal Research Scientist, Natural Product Informatics Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), 679 Saimdang-ro, Gangneung 25451, Gangwon-do, Republic of Korea
Interests: antimicrobial photodynamic therapy; aging and longevity; bioactivity of natural products; biochemical and molecular mechanism; biophotonics; Caenorhabditis elegans model; functional foods; gut microbiome modulation; intestinal health; phytochemicals; probiotics; programmed cell death modulation by chemicals
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Natural Product Informatics Research Center, KIST Gangneung Institute of Natural Products, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), 679 Saimdang-ro, Gangneung, Gangwon-do 25451, Republic of Korea
Interests: formulation; nanoencapsulation; functional foods

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,                

Fucoxanthin is a novel marine carotenoid and it occurs abundantly in seaweeds and micaoalgae. Fucoxanthin acts as a light harvesting pigment with other pigments such as chlorophyll a and c in the fucoxanthin chlorophyll a/c-binding protein (FCP) complex located in the thylakoid membrane. Until now, the health benefits and application technologies of this pigment in various fields have received much attention. In addition, many people have attempted to industially produce fucoxanthin. However, higher quantities of other carotenoids, than those of fucoxanthin have been successfully produced at the industral scale, such as astaxanthin and lutein, and obtaining basic information about it and its application technologies can readdress this.

In this Special Issue, we invite you to discuss all aspects of marine-derived fucoxanthin: the biosynthetic regulation and metabolic engineering of the fucoxanthin biosynthetic pathway, the development of fucoxanthin production methods from macro- and microalgae, the theraputic activities and molecular mechanism of fucoxanthin for human health, and food processing methods to improve stability and bioavailablity.

I hope that this Special Issue will provide an overview of recent original research of this valuable marine carotenoid in various fields to improve ourunderstanding. I would like to invite researchers to contribute to this Special Issue by submitting original articles and review papers and thank the authors for their valuable contributions.

Dr. Sang Min Kim
Prof. Dr. Kyungsu Kang
Dr. Song Yi Koo
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Marine Drugs is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • fucoxanthin
  • marine carotenoids
  • industrial application
  • health benefits
  • carotenoid biosynthesis
  • metabolic engineering
  • health benefits of fucoxanthin
  • encapsulation of fucoxanthin
  • stability and bioavailablity

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 3770 KiB  
Article
Understanding the Impact of Nitrogen Availability: A Limiting Factor for Enhancing Fucoxanthin Productivity in Microalgae Cultivation
by To Quyen Truong, Yun Ji Park, Jessica Winarto, Phuong Kim Huynh, Jinyoung Moon, Yeong Bin Choi, Dae-Geun Song, Song Yi Koo and Sang Min Kim
Mar. Drugs 2024, 22(2), 93; https://doi.org/10.3390/md22020093 - 18 Feb 2024
Viewed by 1444
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the regulation of fucoxanthin (FX) biosynthesis under various nitrogen conditions to optimize FX productivity in Phaeodactylum tricornutum. Apart from light, nitrogen availability significantly affects the FX production of microalgae; however, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In batch [...] Read more.
This study aimed to investigate the regulation of fucoxanthin (FX) biosynthesis under various nitrogen conditions to optimize FX productivity in Phaeodactylum tricornutum. Apart from light, nitrogen availability significantly affects the FX production of microalgae; however, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In batch culture, P. tricornutum was cultivated with normal (NN, 0.882 mM sodium nitrate), limited (LN, 0.22 mM), and high (HN, 8.82 mM) initial nitrogen concentrations in f/2 medium. Microalgal growth and photosynthetic pigment production were examined, and day 5 samples were subjected to fucoxanthin–chlorophyll a/c-binding protein (FCP) proteomic and transcriptomic analyses. The result demonstrated that HN promoted FX productivity by extending the exponential growth phase for higher biomass and FX accumulation stage (P1), showing a continuous increase in FX accumulation on day 6. Augmented FX biosynthesis via the upregulation of carotenogenesis could be primarily attributed to enhanced FCP formation in the thylakoid membrane. Key proteins, such as LHC3/4, LHCF8, LHCF5, and LHCF10, and key genes, such as PtPSY, PtPDS, and PtVDE, were upregulated under nitrogen repletion. Finally, the combination of low light and HN prolonged the P1 stage to day 10, resulting in maximal FX productivity to 9.82 ± 0.56 mg/L/day, demonstrating an effective strategy for enhancing FX production in microalgae cultivation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Marine-Derived Fucoxanthin Studies)
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12 pages, 2411 KiB  
Article
Identification of Potential Factors for the Promotion of Fucoxanthin Synthesis by Methyl Jasmonic Acid Treatment of Phaeodactylum tricornutum
by Hao Liu, Yawen Chen, Heyu Wang, Yaxuan Huang, Ying Hu, Yuxiang Zhao and Yifu Gong
Mar. Drugs 2024, 22(1), 7; https://doi.org/10.3390/md22010007 - 20 Dec 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1249
Abstract
Fucoxanthin, a vital secondary metabolite produced by marine diatoms, has great economic value and research potential. However, its popularization and application have been greatly restricted due to its low content, difficult extraction, and high production cost. Methyl jasmonic acid (MeJA) exerts similar inductive [...] Read more.
Fucoxanthin, a vital secondary metabolite produced by marine diatoms, has great economic value and research potential. However, its popularization and application have been greatly restricted due to its low content, difficult extraction, and high production cost. Methyl jasmonic acid (MeJA) exerts similar inductive hormones in the growth and development as well as metabolic processes of plants. In Phaeodactylum tricornutum (P. tricornutum), MeJA treatment can increase fucoxanthin content. In this study, the effects of different concentrations of MeJA on the cell growth and the fucoxanthin content of P. tricornutum were explored. Meanwhile, this study used high-throughput sequencing technology for transcriptome sequencing of P. tricornutum and subsequently performed differential gene expression analysis, gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis, and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) for screening the hub genes for the promotion of fucoxanthin synthesis with MeJA-treated P. tricornutum. On this basis, the functions of the hub genes for the promotion of fucoxanthin synthesis with MeJA-treated P. tricornutum were further analyzed. The results revealed that the carotenoid synthesis-related genes PHATRDRAFT_54800 and PHATRDRAFT_20677 were the hub genes for the promotion of fucoxanthin synthesis with MeJA-treated P. tricornutum. PHATRDRAFT_54800 may be a carotenoid isomerase, while PHATRDRAFT_20677 may be involved in the MeJA-stimulated synthesis of fucoxanthin by exerting the role of SDR family NAD(P)-dependent oxidoreductases. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Marine-Derived Fucoxanthin Studies)
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13 pages, 2224 KiB  
Article
Fucoxanthin Abrogates Ionizing Radiation-Induced Inflammatory Responses by Modulating Sirtuin 1 in Macrophages
by Hyunju Kang, Seon-Chil Kim and Youngkee Oh
Mar. Drugs 2023, 21(12), 635; https://doi.org/10.3390/md21120635 - 12 Dec 2023
Viewed by 1320
Abstract
Ionizing radiation (IR) triggers an overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS), disrupting the normal function of both immune and metabolic systems, leading to inflammation and metabolic disturbances. To address the pressing requirement for protection against IR, fucoxanthin (FX), a naturally occurring compound extracted [...] Read more.
Ionizing radiation (IR) triggers an overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS), disrupting the normal function of both immune and metabolic systems, leading to inflammation and metabolic disturbances. To address the pressing requirement for protection against IR, fucoxanthin (FX), a naturally occurring compound extracted from algae, was utilized as an efficient radioprotective agent in macrophages. In this study, we cultured murine RAW 264.7 macrophages and treated them with FX, along with agents influencing the activity of sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) and estrogen receptor α (ERα), to investigate their impact on IR-induced cellular responses. FX significantly attenuated IR-induced upregulation of pro-inflammatory genes (Il1b, Tnf, and Ccl2) and inhibited macrophage polarization toward the pro-inflammatory M1 phenotype. Additionally, FX regulated IR-induced metabolic genes mediating glycolysis and mitochondrial biogenesis. The ability of FX to mitigate IR-induced inflammation and glycolysis was ascribed to the expression and activity of SIRT1 and ERα in macrophages. This study not only uncovers the underlying mechanisms of FX's radioprotective properties but also highlights its potential as a protective agent against the detrimental effects of IR, thus offering new opportunities for enhancing radiation protection in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Marine-Derived Fucoxanthin Studies)
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17 pages, 3874 KiB  
Article
Antioxidative and Anti-Inflammatory Protective Effects of Fucoxanthin against Paracetamol-Induced Hepatotoxicity in Rats
by Maimonah Fuad Koshak, Mahmoud Zaki El-Readi, Mohamed Elzubier Elzubier, Bassem Refaat, Riyad Adnan Almaimani, Shakir Idris, Mohammad Althubiti, Hiba Saeed Al-Amodi and Safaa Yehia Eid
Mar. Drugs 2023, 21(11), 592; https://doi.org/10.3390/md21110592 - 14 Nov 2023
Viewed by 1634
Abstract
Paracetamol or acetaminophen (PAC) is a commonly used analgesic and antipyretic drug. It has been shown that overdoses beyond the therapeutic range can cause hepatotoxicity and acute liver injury. The most common cause of drug-induced liver injury (DILI) in Saudi Arabia and worldwide [...] Read more.
Paracetamol or acetaminophen (PAC) is a commonly used analgesic and antipyretic drug. It has been shown that overdoses beyond the therapeutic range can cause hepatotoxicity and acute liver injury. The most common cause of drug-induced liver injury (DILI) in Saudi Arabia and worldwide is paracetamol overdose. Fucoxanthin (FUC) is an allenic carotenoid that is found in edible brown seaweeds, and it has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Several studies have shown the potential therapeutic effects of FUC in diabetes, cancers, and inflammatory disorders. This study aims to investigate the protective effect of FUC against PAC-induced acute liver injury in rats. FUC was administered (100, 200, and 500 mg/kg, p.o.) for 7 days, and then the liver injury was induced by the administration of PAC (2000 mg/kg, oral). Blood and liver tissue samples were collected from PAC-positive untreated, treated, and negative control rats. Biochemical and inflammatory parameters in the blood were measured. In addition, RT-PCR, Western blotting, and immunohistochemistry were performed for liver tissue. The serum levels of liver biomarkers (ALT, AST, and ALP) increased after PAC-induced liver toxicity; FUC-treated rats showed lower levels compared to the positive control. There was an increase in the expression of TNF-α, IL-1, IL-6, NF-kB, INF-γ, and iNOS and a decrease in IL-10, IL-22, and IL-10R expression after the FUC treatment of injured liver rats. For the hepatic inflammation and PAC-toxicity-induced oxidative stress genes and proteins, FUC-treated rats (100, 200, and 500 mg/kg) showed a reduction in the expression of oxidative stress genes. These results showed that FUC protected the liver against PAC-induced injury through antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions. However, further clinical studies are required to confirm the findings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Marine-Derived Fucoxanthin Studies)
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13 pages, 2780 KiB  
Article
Effects of Temperature, Light and Salt on the Production of Fucoxanthin from Conticribra weissflogii
by Feng Li, Xiangyu Rui, David Kwame Amenorfenyo, Yao Pan, Xianghu Huang and Changling Li
Mar. Drugs 2023, 21(9), 495; https://doi.org/10.3390/md21090495 - 16 Sep 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1031
Abstract
Fucoxanthin is a natural active substance derived from diatoms that is beneficial to the growth and immunity of humans and aquatic animals. Temperature, light and salinity are important environmental factors affecting the accumulation of diatom actives; however, their effects on the production of [...] Read more.
Fucoxanthin is a natural active substance derived from diatoms that is beneficial to the growth and immunity of humans and aquatic animals. Temperature, light and salinity are important environmental factors affecting the accumulation of diatom actives; however, their effects on the production of fucoxanthin in C. weissflogii are unclear. In this study, single-factor experiments are designed and followed by an orthogonal experiment to determine the optimal combination of fucoxanthin production conditions in C. weissflogii. The results showed that the optimum conditions for fucoxanthin production were a temperature of 30 °C, a light intensity of 30 umol m−2 s−1 and a salinity of 25. Under these conditions, the cell density, biomass, carotenoid content and fucoxanthin content of C. weissflogii reached 1.97 × 106 cell mL−1, 0.76 g L−1, 2.209 mg L−1 and 1.372 mg g−1, respectively, which were increased to 1.53, 1.71, 2.50 and 1.48 times higher than their initial content. The work sought to give useful information that will lead to an improved understanding of the effective method of cultivation of C. weissflogii for natural fucoxanthin production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Marine-Derived Fucoxanthin Studies)
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13 pages, 3307 KiB  
Article
Protective Effect of Fucoxanthin on Zearalenone-Induced Hepatic Damage through Nrf2 Mediated by PI3K/AKT Signaling
by Rebai Ben Ammar, Hamad Abu Zahra, Abdulmalek Mohammad Abu Zahra, Manal Alfwuaires, Sarah Abdulaziz Alamer, Ashraf M. Metwally, Thnaian A. Althnaian and Saeed Y. Al-Ramadan
Mar. Drugs 2023, 21(7), 391; https://doi.org/10.3390/md21070391 - 03 Jul 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1460
Abstract
Hepatotoxic contaminants such as zearalenone (ZEA) are widely present in foods. Marine algae have a wide range of potential applications in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and food products. Research is ongoing to develop treatments and products based on the compounds found in algae. Fucoxanthin (FXN) [...] Read more.
Hepatotoxic contaminants such as zearalenone (ZEA) are widely present in foods. Marine algae have a wide range of potential applications in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and food products. Research is ongoing to develop treatments and products based on the compounds found in algae. Fucoxanthin (FXN) is a brown-algae-derived dietary compound that is reported to prevent hepatotoxicity caused by ZEA. This compound has multiple biological functions, including anti-diabetic, anti-obesity, anti-microbial, and anti-cancer properties. Furthermore, FXN is a powerful antioxidant. In this study, we examined the effects of FXN on ZEA-induced stress and inflammation in HepG2 cells. MTT assays, ROS generation assays, Western blots, and apoptosis analysis were used to evaluate the effects of FXN on ZEA-induced HepG2 cell inflammation. Pre-incubation with FXN reduced the cytotoxicity of ZEA toward HepG2 cells. FXN inhibited the ZEA-induced production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-1 β, IL-6, and TNF-α. Moreover, FXN increased HO-1 expression in HepG2 by activating the PI3K/AKT/NRF2 signaling pathway. In conclusion, FXN inhibits ZEA-induced inflammation and oxidative stress in hepatocytes by targeting Nrf2 via activating PI3K/AKT signaling. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Marine-Derived Fucoxanthin Studies)
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