Biochemical characterization and anti-cancer activity of tangential flow filtration system assisted purification of fucoglucan from Laminaria japonica.

Polysaccharide from Laminaria japonica (LJPS) exhibits multiple biological functions. However, we found that crude LJPS doesn't show good anti-lung cancer activity in this study. We therefore used tangential flow filtration (TFF) system to optimize the anticancer activity of LJPS.

Effects of WSG, a polysaccharide from Ganoderma lucidum, on suppressing cell growth and mobility of lung cancer.

WSG is a water soluble polysaccharides isolated from Ganoderma lucidum. In this study, we showed that WSG, a glucose-rich polysaccharide with an average molecular mass of approximately 1000 kDa, effectively inhibited cell viability and mobility of lung cancer cells. Functional studies revealed that WSG reduced phosphorylation of ERK1/2 in cells upon either EGF or TGFβ stimulation.

Fucoidan increased the sensitivity to gefitinib in lung cancer cells correlates with reduction of TGFβ-mediated Slug expression.

Gefitinib is a first tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) designed with an EGFR tyrosine kinase for lung cancer targeted therapy. However, some lung cancer patients with wild-type EGFR (wtEGFR) or acquired secondary EGFR mutation showed lower response rate of gefitinib. In this study, we examined the efficacy of fucoidan on altering gefitinib-sensitivity on TKI-resistant lung cancer A549 and H1975 cells.

Clinical applications of fucoidan in translational medicine for adjuvant cancer therapy.

The chemical composition of fucoidan, a kind of sulfated polysaccharide mainly derived from brown seaweed, includes a substantial percentage of L-fucose. Fucoidan has various biological and pharmacological activities, such as anti-cancer/anti-tumor, anti-proliferation, anti-inflammatory and immune-modulatory functions, and fucoidan-related dietary supplements and nutraceuticals have recently drawn considerable attention. In this review, we aim to provide a current view of different aspects of fucoidan biological activity, with a focus on the anti-cancer regulatory effects of fucoidan on growth signaling mechanisms.

Rubiadin-1-methyl ether from Morinda officinalis How. Inhibits osteoclastogenesis through blocking RANKL-induced NF-κB pathway.

Rubiadin-1-methyl ether (RBM) is a natural anthraquinone compound isolated from the root of Morinda officinalis How. In our previous study, RBM was found to have inhibitory effects on the TRAP activity of osteoclasts, which means that RBM may be a candidate for therapy of bone diseases characterized by enhanced bone resorption. However, the further effect of RBM on osteoclasts and the underlying mechanism remain unclear.

Pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of monotropein and deacetyl asperulosidic acid after oral administration of extracts from Morinda officinalis root in rats.

Background: Iridoid glycosides (IGs), including monotropein (MON) and deacetyl asperulosidic acid (DA) as the main ingredients, are the major chemical components in Morinda officinalis How. (MO) root, possessing various pharmacological properties including anti-osteoporosis, anti-inflammation and anti-rheumatism activities.The aim of the present study was to further elucidate the pharmacological actions of MO by investigating the pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of IGs in MO.

Monotropein attenuates ovariectomy and LPS-induced bone loss in mice and decreases inflammatory impairment on osteoblast through blocking activation of NF-κB pathway.

Estrogen deficiency and inflammation are known to play important roles in bone metabolism and occurrence of osteoporosis. Monotropein as an iridoid glycoside is reported to decrease estrogen deficiency-induced bone loss and inhibit inflammatory response in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages.

Fucoidan upregulates TLR4/CHOP-mediated caspase-3 and PARP activation to enhance cisplatin-induced cytotoxicity in human lung cancer cells.

Cisplatin-based therapy is a traditional, clinical treatment for cancers, including lung cancer. In this study, we found that sequential therapy, i.e.

Characterization of a sulfated galactoglucan from Antrodia cinnamomea and its anticancer mechanism via TGFβ/FAK/Slug axis suppression.

A sulfated 1,4-β-d-galactoglucan (B86-III) with 1,6-branches was isolated and identified from Antrodia cinnamomea. The repeating unit of B86-III was proposed based on one-dimensional 1D (H, C and DEPT-135) and 2D (DQF-COSY, TOCSY, HSQC and HMBC) NMR spectra. The conformation of the sugars was hypothesized to be a rare boat form instead of a C chair form.

Fucoidan induces Toll-like receptor 4-regulated reactive oxygen species and promotes endoplasmic reticulum stress-mediated apoptosis in lung cancer.

Fucoidan, a sulfated polysaccharide extracted from brown algae, exhibits anti-cancer activity. However, the effects and mechanism of fucoidan-induced apoptosis via endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that fucoidan prevents tumorigenesis and reduces tumor size in LLC1-xenograft male C57BL/6 mice.

Induction of Cbl-dependent epidermal growth factor receptor degradation in Ling Zhi-8 suppressed lung cancer.

Activating mutation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is correlated with malignant lung tumor. In our study, we demonstrated that recombinant LZ-8 (rLZ-8), a medicinal mushroom Ganoderma lucidum protein, induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis by downregulating the expression of wild-type and mutated EGFR and inhibiting EGFR downstream effectors, AKT and ERK1/2 in lung cancer cells. We showed that rLZ-8 effectively inhibited lung cancer progression and suppressed EGFR expression of lung tumor lesions in mouse model.

Fucose-containing fraction of Ling-Zhi enhances lipid rafts-dependent ubiquitination of TGFβ receptor degradation and attenuates breast cancer tumorigenesis.

Ganoderma lucidum exerts antitumor activity, but the mechanism of G. lucidum polysaccharides on cancer is unclear. Here, we demonstrated that a fucose-containing fraction of Ling-Zhi (FFLZ) reduced tumor size and suppressed metastasis in vivo.

Molecular mechanism of Antrodia cinnamomea sulfated polysaccharide on the suppression of lung cancer cell growth and migration via induction of transforming growth factor β receptor degradation.

A sulfated polysaccharide of edible mushroom Antrodia cinnamomea (SPS) has been identified as a novel immunomodulatory agent. We examined the anti-cancer effects of SPS by conducting a series of in vitro studies. We found that SPS inhibits the growth of A549 and LLC1 lung cancer cells via the induction of cell cycle arrest and activation of caspase 3 and PARP.

Ling Zhi-8 reduces lung cancer mobility and metastasis through disruption of focal adhesion and induction of MDM2-mediated Slug degradation.

We recently reported that recombinant Ling Zhi-8 (rLZ-8), a medicinal mushroom Ganoderma lucidum recombinant protein, effectively prevents lung cancer cells proliferation in vivo mice model. In our current study, we demonstrated that rLZ-8 suppressed tumor metastasis and increased the survival rate in Lewis lung carcinoma cell-bearing mice. The epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) process is regarded as the critical event in tumor metastasis.

Fucoidan inhibition of lung cancer in vivo and in vitro : role of the Smurf2-dependent ubiquitin proteasome pathway in TGFβ receptor degradation.

Fucoidan, a polysaccharide extracted from brown seaweeds, reduces tumor cell proliferation. In this study, we demonstrate that fucoidan reduces tumor size in LLC1-xenograft male C57BL/6 mice. Moreover, we found that LLC1-bearing mice continuously fed fucoidan showed greater antitumor activity than mice with discontinuous feeding.

Ganoderma lucidum Polysaccharides Reduce Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Interleukin-1 β Expression in Cultured Smooth Muscle Cells and in Thoracic Aortas in Mice.

The expression of inflammatory cytokines on vascular walls is a critical event in vascular diseases and inflammation. The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of an extract of Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi) polysaccharides (EORPs), which is effective against immunological disorders, on interleukin- (IL-) 1 β expression by human aortic smooth muscle cells (HASMCs) and the underlying mechanism. The lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) induced IL-1 β expression was significantly reduced when HASMCs were pretreated with EORP by Western blot and immunofluorescent staining.

Immunization of fucose-containing polysaccharides from Reishi mushroom induces antibodies to tumor-associated Globo H-series epitopes.

Carbohydrate-based vaccines have shown therapeutic efficacy for infectious disease and cancer. The mushroom Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi) containing complex polysaccharides has been used as antitumor supplement, but the mechanism of immune response has rarely been studied. Here, we show that the mice immunized with a l-fucose (Fuc)-enriched Reishi polysaccharide fraction (designated as FMS) induce antibodies against murine Lewis lung carcinoma cells, with increased antibody-mediated cytotoxicity and reduced production of tumor-associated inflammatory mediators (in particular, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1).

Reishi Protein LZ-8 Induces FOXP3(+) Treg Expansion via a CD45-Dependent Signaling Pathway and Alleviates Acute Intestinal Inflammation in Mice.

LZ-8, an immunomodulatory protein isolated from Ganoderma lucidum (also known as Ling-Zhi or Reishi), has been shown to promote cell proliferation and IL-2 production in T cells. In this study, we show that LZ-8 induces the expansion of both murine and human CD4(+) T cells into FOXP3(+) regulatory T (Treg) cells. LZ-8 treatment was found to stimulate a 4-fold and a 10-fold expansion in the Treg populations of murine and human primary CD4(+) T cells, respectively.

Fucoidan induces changes in the epithelial to mesenchymal transition and decreases metastasis by enhancing ubiquitin-dependent TGFβ receptor degradation in breast cancer.

Fucoidan, a polysaccharide extracted from brown seaweeds, reduces tumor cell proliferation. Fucoidan inhibits the growth of breast cancer cells such as 4T1 and MDA-MB-231 and decreases their cell colony formation. Moreover, fucoidan reduces metastatic lung nodules in 4T1 xenograft female Balb/c mice.

Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides prevent platelet-derived growth factor-stimulated smooth muscle cell proliferation in vitro and neointimal hyperplasia in the endothelial-denuded artery in vivo.

Ganoderma lucidum is used in traditional Chinese medicine to prevent or treat a variety of diseases, including cardiovascular disorders. We previously demonstrated that a glucan-containing extract of Reishi polysaccharides (EORP) has the potent anti-inflammatory action of reducing ICAM-1 expression in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated human aortic smooth muscle cells (HASMCs) and LPS-treated mice. In the present study, we examined whether EORP inhibited platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF)-stimulated HASMC proliferation and the mechanism involved.

Ling Zhi-8 mediates p53-dependent growth arrest of lung cancer cells proliferation via the ribosomal protein S7-MDM2-p53 pathway.

Ling Zhi-8 (LZ-8), an immunomodulatory protein, is derived from and has been cloned from the medicinal mushroom Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi or Ling Zhi); this protein exhibits immunomodulating and antitumor properties. We investigated the effects of recombinant LZ-8 protein (rLZ-8) on the proliferation of A549 human lung cancer cells. Here, we showed that rLZ-8 inhibits cell growth and that this is correlated with increased G(1) arrest.

Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides attenuate endotoxin-induced intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 expression in cultured smooth muscle cells and in the neointima in mice.

The expression of adhesion molecules on vessels and subsequent leukocyte recruitment are critical events in vascular diseases and inflammation. The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of an extract of Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi) polysaccharides (EORP), which is effective against cancer and immunological disorders, on adhesion molecule expression by human aortic smooth muscle cells (HASMCs) and the underlying mechanism. EORP significantly suppressed lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) mRNA and protein expression and reduced the binding of human monocytes to LPS-stimulated HASMCs.

Immunostimulatory bioactivity of algal polysaccharides from Chlorella pyrenoidosa activates macrophages via Toll-like receptor 4.

Much research suggests that a dietary supplement of Chlorella pyrenoidosa may be helpful to human health, but the molecular mechanism involved remains unclear. The aim of this research was to investigate the effects of certain hot-water-soluble polysaccharides from Chlorella pyrenoidosa (CWSP) on cytokine production, human leukocyte antigen (HLA) expression, and costimulatory molecule expression in macrophages. We demonstrated that CWSP induced IL-1beta secretion in macrophages via Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) mediated protein kinase signaling pathways.

Lysophosphatidic acid-induced oxidized low-density lipoprotein uptake is class A scavenger receptor-dependent in macrophages.

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is a low-molecular-weight lysophospholipid enriched in platelets and mildly oxidized low-density lipoprotein (OxLDL). It is suggested that LPA is involved in atherosclerosis, and our previous studies showed that LPA regulates inflammation in multiple cell types. The main aim of this study was to investigate the effects of LPA on the uptake of OxLDL by mouse J774A.

Heme oxygenase-1 mediates the anti-inflammatory effect of Curcumin within LPS-stimulated human monocytes.

Curcumin, a polyphenolic compound derived from plant, regulates heme oxygenase (HO-1) expression within certain cell types; however, the Curcumin-mediated signal transduction in the regulation of HO-1 expression within human monocytes/macrophages is unclear. Herein, we show that Curcumin dose dependently induced HO-1 expression and HO-1 activity through the activation of PKCalpha, PKCdelta/ERK1/2, p38alpha, and PI3-kinase. In addition, H2O2 release is essential for Curcumin-mediated ERK1/2 and p38 phosphorylation and HO-1 expression.