Marine Polysaccharides from Algae
Se-Kwon Kim in Marine Biochemistry, 2023
The main ingredient of Carragelose is carrageenan. Carrageenan is an extract of the Rhodophyceae seaweeds. Carrageenan is a sulfated galactose polymer, which is composed of galactose and 3,6-ether galactose. The three principal copolymers are designated as Iota (ι), Kappa (κ), and Lamda (λ) based on the amount and location of the ester sulfate (S) and the presence of the 3,6-anhydro bridge (DA) in the 4-coupled residues. Among them, Carragelose (Iota carrageenan) has extensive inhibitory effect on respiratory virus in vitro, and its safety is also very good. The drug could inhibit the attachment and entry of virus into cells, reduce the replication of virus, and then reduce the symptoms caused by virus (Eccles et al., 2010; Genicot et al., 2014). At present, carragelose can be used as an over-the-counter drug in the European Union and parts of Asia and Australia.
Animal Models of Rheumatoid Arthritis
Yuehuei H. An, Richard J. Friedman in Animal Models in Orthopaedic Research, 2020
Carrageenan is a sulfated mucopolysaccharide which is extracted from seaweeds, the marine algae Chondrus spp. and Gigartina spp. commonly referred to as Irish moss, or carrageen moss. Multiple spellings of the word Carrageenan appear in the literature. Carrageenan is obtained and used commercially as a thickener and stabilizer in many types of foodstuffs. Carrageenan is a member of the “gel-forming polysaccharides” because κ carrageenan gels upon exposure to potassium ion. Carrageenan has a primary structure of an alternating copolymer comprised of alternating units of sulfated D-galactose and 3, 6-anhydro-D-galactose. The secondary and tertiary structure which accompany this chemical makeup may afford some resistance to digestion by lysosomal enzymes. The potency of carrageenan as an irritant in either acute or chronic inflammatory reactions or in its effect as an anticoagulant is dependent upon both the molecular weight of the carrageenan, and also upon its characteristic fraction, either λ or κ, with the former fraction being more potent.42
Experimental Colon Carcinogens and Their Mode of Action
Herman Autrup, Gary M. Williams in Experimental Colon Carcinogenesis, 2019
Likewise, degraded but not nondegraded carrageenan exhibited carcinogenicity for the colon similar to that found with dextran.156 Early lesions are found even to a greater extent in germ-free rats and thus the microbial flora’s enzymes are not involved.157 Degraded carrageenan has multiple effects in the entire gastrointestinal tract and further studies are indicated.154 Here also the mechanism is unclear. Native non-degraded carrageenan is apparently not carcinogenic,158 but at high dose levels, specifically 15%, in the diet, the substance was a good promoter in colon carcinogenesis.159 Carrageenan under these conditions increased the excretion of bile acids while at the same time it lowered serum cholesterol.160 Thus, the chemical may have interfered with the enterohepatic cycling of bile acids. It may be that all of these compounds are powerful promoters of the small number of spontaneously occurring colonic neoplas-mas.207
Development of phospholipon®90H complex nanocarrier with enhanced oral bioavailability and anti-inflammatory potential of genistein
Published in Drug Delivery, 2023
Vaishnavi S. Shete, Darshan R. Telange, Nilesh M. Mahajan, Anil M. Pethe, Debarshi K. Mahapatra
Carrageenan is an inflammatory inducer. It produced inflammation via vasodilation and tumor necrosis factor (TNF – α) liberation. The comparative in vivo anti-inflammatory potential of diclofenac at a dose of (∼10 mg/kg) and GPLC formulations at a dose level of ∼(5 mg/kg, 10 mg/kg, and 20 mg/kg) in carrageenan-induced albino rat model are discussed below. The carrageenan (group I animals) at a dose of (∼10 mg/kg) enhanced the paw volume and continued to increase up to 5 h. Compared to this, the diclofenac (group II animals) at a dose of (∼10 mg/kg) inhibited a significant amount of paw edema around ∼37.32, 46.08, 51.15, 56.59, and 67.10 for a period of 1 to 5 h, respectively. The GPLC formulations at a dose of (∼20 mg/kg) more significantly inhibited the paw edema around ∼41.58, 45.70, 52.93, 57.60 and 73.65 for a period of 1 to 5 h, respectively, compared to the same formulation at a dose level of (∼5 mg/kg, group III animals) and dose level of (∼10 mg/kg, group IV animals). Findings indicate that complex at higher doses remarkably inhibited paw edema and could be attributed to enhanced solubility, dissolution, permeation, diffusion, and complex bioavailability.
Diet-microbiota interaction in irritable bowel syndrome: looking beyond the low-FODMAP approach
Published in Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology, 2023
Hanna Fjeldheim Dale, Sissi Christiane Stove Lorentzen, Tonje Mellin-Olsen, Jørgen Valeur
Carrageenan is a common food additive used in a broad range of processed foods, such as processed meat, soy products, ice cream, infant formula, yoghurt, energy bars and chocolate milk, incorporated to thicken the consistency and improve the texture of the product by increasing the solubility of ingredients [39]. Carrageenan is commonly used as a pro-inflammatory agent causing an inflammatory response in human cell models and animal studies, and the carrageenan-induced inflammatory effect in the intestine in animal models is comparable with the inflammatory response seen in ulcerative colitis in humans [40]. People following a typical Western dietary pattern with a high intake of processed foods are assumed to have a daily intake of carrageenan of about 250 mg/day, with an intake of up to 2–4 g per day reported in some individuals, corresponding to intake considered sufficient to induce inflammation [41]. One small study investigated the effect of carrageenan in human subjects with ulcerative colitis and reported that carrageenan intake contributed to earlier relapse in patients with ulcerative colitis in remission when compared to placebo [39]. Although carrageenan has not been specifically investigated in IBS in particular, current evidence suggests that it may be a contributor to GI inflammation, hence restricting its intake may potentially be beneficial.
Sun-Dried and Air-Dried Kappaphycus alvarezii Attenuates 5-Fluorouracil-Induced Intestinal Mucositis in Mice
Published in Nutrition and Cancer, 2022
Qing Zhang, Ruzhen Yang, Phaik Eem Lim, Yaoxian Chin, Sainan Zhou, Yuan Gao, Qingjuan Tang
Seaweed has a long history as a whole food in China, Japan, and South Korea. They are the natural sources of new kinds of drugs and functional molecules. Seaweed has also been concerned in many fields such as medicine, food, nutrition, and health care. Thus, functional foods such as seaweeds could serve as potential therapeutic options for chemotherapy-induced IM. Among them, Kappaphycus alvarezii (KA) is an important economic red alga, known as “sea-bird nest.” It has many marine natural active ingredients and contains significant amounts of phytochemicals, many of which were discovered to have excellent anti-oxidation, antibacterial, anticancer, anti-inflammatory and promoting human intestinal health potential (21–23). However, the potential protective effect of KA on chemotherapy-induced IM has not been reported. Members of the research team found that carrageenan from KA had anti-obesity potential, and carrageenan intake did not cause colitis (24). There are studies showing that carrageenan from KA can be used as a functional food to prevent colon carcinogenesis (25). Several studies on dietary carrageenan have found no significant effects on gastrointestinal inflammation (24, 26). It must be highlighted that carrageenan is thoroughly reviewed and regarded as safe by major international agencies such as the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Joint FAO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) despite some researchers linking it to gastrointestinal inflammation (27–29).
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