fucoxanthin and Edema

Undaria pinnatifida is a well-known traditional Korean food with a variety of biological activities. Carrageenan (carr) is commonly used to induce paw edema in animal models. This study was designed to elucidate the processes underlying the anti-inflammatory effect of fucoxanthin isolated from the sporophyll of U. pinnatifida in carr-induced paw edema in ICR mice. Fucoxanthin significantly decreased carr-induced increased nitric oxide levels in the plasma of mice with carr-induced paw edema. Fucoxanthin protected catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity against disruption in mice with carr-induced paw edema. In addition, fucoxanthin repressed carr-induced activation of inducible nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase-2, and nuclear factor kappa B, as well as carr-induced phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase, extracellular signal-regulated kinase, c-Jun N-terminal kinase, p38, and protein kinase B/Akt. These results suggest that fucoxanthin may have therapeutic potential as a treatment for patients with inflammatory diseases.

Topics: Animals; Catalase; Cyclooxygenase 2; Disease Models, Animal; Edema; Inflammation; Mice; Mice, Inbred ICR; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; NF-kappa B; Nitric Oxide; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; Phosphorylation; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; Superoxide Dismutase; Xanthophylls