Reevaluation of bactericidal, cytotoxic, and macrophage-stimulating activities of commercially available Fucus vesiculosus fucoidan

Polysaccharides prepared from marine algae sometimes contain contaminants such as polyphenols and endotoxins that may mislead their bona fide biological activities. In this study, we examined bioactive contaminants in commercially available fucoindan from Fucus vesiculosus, along with ascophyllan and fucoidan from Ascophyllum nodosum. E vesiculosus fucoidan inhibited the growth of Vibrio alginolyticus in a concentration-dependent manner (0-1,000 mu g mL(-1)). However, the antibacterial activity of the fucoidan significantly reduced after methanol-extraction, and the methanol-extract showed a potent antibacterial activity The extract also showed cytotoxicity to RAW264.7 and 15937 cells, and induced apoptotic nuclear morphological changes in U937 cells. These results suggest that the antibacterial activity of the fucoidan is partly due to the methanol-extractable contaminants that can also contribute to the cytotoxicity on RAW264.7 and U937 cells. On the other hand, the activities to induce secretion of nitric oxide and tumor necrosis factor-a from RAW264.7 cells were observed in the fucoidan even after methanol extraction, and the extract had no such activities. Our observations suggest that commercially available fucoidan should be purified prior to biochemical use.