Fucoxanthin

Description

Fucoxanthin is another important xanthophyll. It is widely found in heterokontophyta, such as brown algae and oceanic microalgae,and is believed be the second-most abundant carotenoid on Earth after β-carotene. Recently, studies on the functionality of fucoxanthin have been increasingly conducted,and fucoxanthin has been shown to possess various beneficial physiological activities.It has various pharmaceutical effects such as anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-obesity effects, protecting nerve cell, increasing the content of ARA(arachidonic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) in mice; It is widely used as medicine, skin care and beauty industry, and in the Food supplements market.

Chemical properties

Fucoxanthin is an orange-colored pigment, along with chlorophylls a and c and β-carotene, present in Chromophyta (Heterokontophyta or Ochrophyta), including brown seaweeds (Phaeophyceae) and diatoms (Bacillariophyta). It is insoluble in water but soluble in organic solvents such as ethanol; it is typically lipid-soluble powder or oil.

Occurrence

Fucoxanthin is a xanthophyll carotenoid abundant in macroalgae, such as brown seaweeds and microalgae. Several edible brown algae, including Sargassam fusiforme, Laminaria japonica, Undaria pinnatifida, and Padina tetrastromatica, are consumed in Southeast Asia and Europe. The brown algae are good sources of fucoxanthin. However, diatoms, such as Phaeodactylum tricornutum, are preferred sources of fucoxanthin in the food industry because of their higher fucoxanthin content and extraction efficiency with shorter growth cycles than those of macroalgae[1].

The Uses of Fucoxanthin

Fucoxanthin is a carotenoid pigment found in fresh brown algae.It can be used as an anti-obesity, anticancer, anti-cholesterol, and anti-diabetic agent and as a food colorant, but it is very unstable. It is easily affected by heating, aerial exposure, and illumination.

The Uses of Fucoxanthin

Fucoxanthin is a carotenoid that occurs naturally in certain algae. It significantly reduces abdominal white adipose tissue (WAT) in mice and rats when included in their diet. Fucoxanthin increases the amount of mitochondrial uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1), a fatty acid-stimulated protein involved in respiration and thermogenesis in WAT of mice and rats. In KK-Ay mice, which are used to model obese type 2 diabetics with hyperinsulinemia, fucoxanthin reduces WAT gain and also decreases blood glucose and plasma insulin levels.

The Uses of Fucoxanthin

Fucoxanthin has been used to study its neuroprotective effects. It has also been used in calibration to identify the most efficient fucoxanthin producing strains of microalgae.

What are the applications of Application

Fucoxanthin is a carotenoid pigment

Definition

ChEBI: A natural product found in Sporochnus comosus.

General Description

Fucoxanthin is isolated from brown algae. It has anti-angiogenic, hepatoprotective,?cardiovascular and cerebrovascular protective properties. Fucoxanthin stimulates G1 cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis in cancer cell lines.

Biochem/physiol Actions

Xanthophyll carotenoid pigment extracted from algae. Exhibits anticancer, antioxidant, anti-obesity and anti-inflammatory properties.

Side Effects

There are some potential dangers associated with taking Fucoxanthin. These include an increased risk of bleeding, liver damage, and allergic reactions. Additionally, it may interact with certain medications, such as blood thinners, and can cause side effects such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Metabolism

Fucoxanthin is unstable and can be easily degraded by heating, aerial exposure, or illumination. The primary metabolites of fucoxanthin are fucoxanthinol and amarouciaxanthin A. Fucoxanthin can be hydrolyzed to fucoxanthinol in the gastrointestinal tract and further converted into amarouciaxanthin A in the liver. In animal studies, no toxicity of fucoxanthin was observed [1].

References

[1] Minkyung Bae . “Health benefits of fucoxanthin in the prevention of chronic diseases.” Biochimica et biophysica acta. Molecular and cell biology of lipids 1865 11 (2020): Article 158618.