title: Molecular characterization and immunomodulatory activity of sulfated fucans from Agarum cribrosum.
abstract: The sulfated-fucans, known as fucoidans, were isolated from Agarum cribrosum and fractionated using ion-exchange chromatography to determine their molecular characteristics and in vitro immunomodulatory activity. The crude and fractionated fucoidans (F1 and F2) consisted mostly of carbohydrates (52.4-56.0%), sulfates (12.7-23.0%) and uronic acid (14.1-21.8%), with a small amount of proteins (3.9-9.3%), and included various levels of fucose (44.0-46.7%), mannose (18.9-26.8%), galactose (16.8-33.0%), xylose (10.7-17.0%) and glucose (3.5-9.5%). The crude and fractionated fucans contained one or two subfractions with average molecular weights (Mw) ranging from 110.1 × 10(3) to 2420 × 10(3)g/mol. The fractionated fucoidan, especially the F1 fraction, strongly stimulated murine macrophages (Raw 264.7 cells), producing a considerable amount of nitric oxide (NO) and inducing expression of inducible NO synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) transcripts by activation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) pathways. The maximally immunoenhancing F1 fraction was mainly composed of (1 → 3)-linked fucose, (1 → 2)-linked mannose and (1 → 4)-linked glucuronic acid with sulfates at C-2 or both the C-2 and C-4 positions in (1 → 2,3)- and (1 → 2,3,4)-linked fucose residues.
authors.affiliation: East Sea Research Institute, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, Uljin 767-813, Gyeongbuk, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: MyoungLae
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.affiliation: Department of Marine Food Science and Technology, Gangneung-Wonju National University, Gangneung 210-702, Gangwon, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Dong-Jin
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Science, Catholic University of Daegu, Gyeongsan 712-702, Gyeongbuk, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jin-Kyung
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Marine Food Science and Technology, Gangneung-Wonju National University, Gangneung 210-702, Gangwon, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: umyousg@gwnu.ac.kr.
authors.forename: SangGuan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: You
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D056747:Immunomodulation / Q000187:drug effects; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000096:biosynthesis; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000459:Phaeophyceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013431:Sulfates / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: C556062:IL10 protein, mouse; D011134:Polysaccharides; D013431:Sulfates; D016753:Interleukin-10; D009569:Nitric Oxide; C007789:fucoidan; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; C496317:Nos2 protein, mouse; C077623:Ptgs2 protein, mouse; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2
keywords: Agarum cribrosum; Glycosidic linkage; Immunomodulation; MAPK; NF-κB; Sulfated-fucans