Effects of Fucoidans on Activated Retinal Microglia.

Sulfated marine polysaccharides, so-called fucoidans, have been shown to exhibit anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activities in retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). In this study, we tested the effects of different fucoidans (and of fucoidan-treated RPE cells) on retinal microglia to investigate whether its anti-inflammatory effect can be extrapolated to the innate immune cells of the retina. In addition, we tested whether fucoidan treatment influenced the anti-inflammatory effect of RPE cells on retinal microglia.

Establishment of specific age-related macular degeneration relevant gene expression panels using porcine retinal pigment epithelium for assessing fucoidan bioactivity.

Purpose: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of severe vision loss in industrialized nations. Important factors in pathogenesis are oxidative stress, inflammation, and, in the wet form of AMD, angiogenesis. Fucoidans, sulfated polysaccharides from brown algae, may have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiangiogenic effects.

Interaction of High-Molecular Weight Fucoidan from with Natural Functions of the Retinal Pigment Epithelium.

Fucoidans are polysaccharides and constituents of cell walls of brown algae such as (LH). They exhibit promising effects regarding age-related macular degeneration (AMD). However, the safety of this compound needs to be assured.

Alginate gels crosslinked with chitosan oligomers - a systematic investigation into alginate block structure and chitosan oligomer interaction.

Three alginates with fundamentally different block structures, poly-M, poly-G, and poly-MG, have been investigated upon ionic crosslinking with chitosan oligosaccharides (CHOS), using circular dichroism (CD), rheology, and computer simulations, supporting the previously proposed gelling principle of poly-M forming zipper-like junction zones with chitosan (match in charge distance along the two polyelectrolytes) and revealing a unique high gel strength poly-MG chitosan gelling system. CD spectroscopy revealed an increased chiroptical activity exclusively for the poly-M chitosan gelling system, indicative of induced conformational changes and higher ordered structures. Rheological measurement revealed gel strengths (' < 900 Pa) for poly-MG (1%) CHOS (0.

Effects of Sulfated Fucans from Regarding VEGF Secretion, Cell Viability, and Oxidative Stress and Correlation with Molecular Weight.

Background: Sulfated fucans show interesting effects in the treatment of ocular diseases (e.g., age-related macular degeneration), depending on their chemical structure.

Structural Characterization of Fucoidan from : Assessment of Coagulation and Inflammatory Properties and Their Structure-Function Relationship.

The structure of fucoidan isolated from was elucidated and chemically tailored in order to obtain a clear structure-function relationship on bioactive properties with a minimal amount of variations among the tested molecules. Analysis revealed a sugar composition of 97.8% fucose and 2.

Alginate gels with a combination of calcium and chitosan oligomer mixtures as crosslinkers.

Alginates are polysaccharides that are widely used in relation to their ability to form gels. Recently we reported that alginates may also form gels with chitosan oligomers as crosslinkers (Khong, Aarstad, Skjåk-Bræk, Draget, & Vårum, 2013). The purpose of the present study was to characterize alginate gels crosslinked with calcium and chitosan oligomers.