Fucoidan from sea cucumber protects against high-fat high-sucrose diet-induced hyperglycaemia and insulin resistance in mice

The amelioration in hyperglycaemia and insulin resistance of fucoidan from sea cucumber can be speculated due to these effects-of fucoidan from marine phaeophyta. We examined the effect of fucoidan from Acaudina molpadioides (Am-FUC) on anti-hyperglycaemia and improvement in insulin resistance in high-fat high-sucrose diet-induced insulin resistant mice. Results showed that Am-FUC significantly reduced blood glucose, insulin, leptin, resistin, and TNF-alpha levels, and increased adiponectin and hepatic glycogen contents. Am-FUC improved glucose metabolism via an increase in hexokinase and pyruvate kinase activities, and a reduction in glycogen phosphorylase and glucose-6-phosphates activities. Am-FUC enhanced glucose transport through successively activated insulin signalling cascadeinduced GLUT4 translocation. Am-FUC also enhanced the effects of rosiglitazone. No signs of toxicity were observed in acute oral toxicity study. It indicates that Am-FUC acutely reduces blood glucose level and improves insulin resistance via normalization of cytokines and glucose metabolism-related enzyme activities and up-regulation of the PKB/GLUT4 pathway. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.