Overview of Fucoxanthin
Fucoxanthin is a marine-derived carotenoid pigment predominantly found in brown seaweeds and certain microalgae. It is recognized for its unique chemical structure, which includes an allenic bond, and accounts for about 10% of the total carotenoids in nature. Fucoxanthin is notable for its strong antioxidant properties and its ability to target multiple biological pathways, making it a compound of significant interest for both nutraceutical and pharmaceutical applications (Mohibbullah et al., 2022; Xiao et al., 2020; Mumu et al., 2022; Kumarasinghe & Gunathilaka, 2024; Sun et al., 2023).
Pharmaceutical Applications
Disease Prevention and Therapy
Fucoxanthin exhibits a wide range of pharmacological activities, including:
Anticancer and Antitumor Effects: It inhibits cancer cell proliferation, induces apoptosis and autophagy, and suppresses metastasis and angiogenesis. Fucoxanthin also enhances the effectiveness of conventional anticancer therapies by reducing drug resistance (Mohibbullah et al., 2022; Xiao et al., 2020; Liu et al., 2020; Méresse et al., 2020).
Anti-Inflammatory and Antioxidant Actions: Fucoxanthin protects against inflammation-related diseases and oxidative stress, partly by modulating key molecular pathways and gut microbiota (Mohibbullah et al., 2022; Xiao et al., 2020; Mumu et al., 2022; Sun et al., 2023; Liu et al., 2020).
Metabolic Health: It shows promise in managing obesity, diabetes, and liver diseases by promoting weight loss, improving glucose metabolism, and protecting liver function (Mohibbullah et al., 2022; Mumu et al., 2022; Kumarasinghe & Gunathilaka, 2024; Sun et al., 2023).
Neuroprotection: Fucoxanthin can cross the blood–brain barrier and act on multiple targets involved in neurodegenerative disorders, such as reducing amyloid aggregation, oxidative stress, and neuroinflammation (Mohibbullah et al., 2022; Yang et al., 2021).
Other Benefits: Additional effects include antimicrobial, skin-protective, hepatoprotective, and anti-fibrotic activities (Mohibbullah et al., 2022; Mumu et al., 2022; Kumarasinghe & Gunathilaka, 2024).
Pharmaceutical Development and Delivery
Despite its broad pharmacological potential, clinical research on fucoxanthin remains limited, with only a few human studies reported, particularly in obesity management (Mohibbullah et al., 2022). Challenges such as poor bioavailability and stability have prompted the development of advanced delivery systems. For example, encapsulating fucoxanthin in solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) has significantly improved its oral bioavailability and stability, enhancing its therapeutic efficacy and expanding its potential in pharmaceutical formulations (Ding et al., 2024; Yang et al., 2021).
Production and Synthetic Biology
Microalgae and brown seaweeds are the primary sources of fucoxanthin. Advances in synthetic biology and genetic engineering are being applied to optimize fucoxanthin production in microalgae, aiming to reduce costs and increase yields for industrial-scale pharmaceutical use (Sun et al., 2023; Yoshida et al., 2024).
Safety and Future Prospects
Fucoxanthin and its derivatives are generally considered safe and non-toxic based on current in vitro and in vivo studies. However, more translational and clinical research is needed to fully realize its potential as a multi-target pharmaceutical agent (Mohibbullah et al., 2022; Kumarasinghe & Gunathilaka, 2024; Yang et al., 2021).
Summary
Fucoxanthin is a promising marine-derived compound with diverse pharmacological activities, especially in cancer, metabolic, inflammatory, and neurodegenerative diseases. Its pharmaceutical potential is being enhanced by novel delivery systems and biotechnological advances, though further clinical research is required to support its widespread therapeutic use.
References
Mohibbullah, M., Haque, M., Sohag, A., Hossain, M., Zahan, M., Uddin, M., Hannan, M., Moon, I., & Choi, J. (2022). A Systematic Review on Marine Algae-Derived Fucoxanthin: An Update of Pharmacological Insights. Marine Drugs, 20. https://doi.org/10.3390/md20050279
Xiao, H., Zhao, J., Fang, C., Cao, Q., Xing, M., Li, X., Hou, J., Ji, A., & Song, S. (2020). Advances in Studies on the Pharmacological Activities of Fucoxanthin. Marine Drugs, 18. https://doi.org/10.3390/md18120634
Mumu, M., Das, A., Emran, T., Mitra, S., Islam, F., Roy, A., Karim, M., Das, R., Park, M., Chandran, D., Sharma, R., Khandaker, M., Idris, A., & Kim, B. (2022). Fucoxanthin: A Promising Phytochemical on Diverse Pharmacological Targets. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2022.929442
Kumarasinghe, H., & Gunathilaka, M. (2024). A systematic review of fucoxanthin as a promising bioactive compound in drug development. Phytochemistry Letters. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phytol.2024.03.009
Ding, L., Luo, X., Xian, Q., Zhu, S., & Wen, W. (2024). Innovative Approaches to Fucoxanthin Delivery: Characterization and Bioavailability of Solid Lipid Nanoparticles with Eco-Friendly Ingredients and Enteric Coating. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 25. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms252312825
Sun, H., Wang, J., Li, Y., Yang, S., Di Chen, D., Tu, Y., Liu, J., & Sun, Z. (2023). Synthetic biology in microalgae towards fucoxanthin production for pharmacy and nutraceuticals.. Biochemical pharmacology, 115958. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bcp.2023.115958
Liu, M., Li, W., Chen, Y., Wan, X., & Wang, J. (2020). Fucoxanthin: A promising compound for human inflammation-related diseases.. Life sciences, 117850. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lfs.2020.117850
Méresse, S., Fodil, M., Fleury, F., & Chénais, B. (2020). Fucoxanthin, a Marine-Derived Carotenoid from Brown Seaweeds and Microalgae: A Promising Bioactive Compound for Cancer Therapy. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 21. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21239273
Yang, M., Xuan, Z., Wang, Q., Yan, S., Zhou, D., Naman, C., Zhang, J., He, S., Yan, X., & Cui, W. (2021). Fucoxanthin has potential for therapeutic efficacy in neurodegenerative disorders by acting on multiple targets. Nutritional Neuroscience, 25, 2167 - 2180. https://doi.org/10.1080/1028415X.2021.1926140
Yoshida, E., Kato, Y., Kanamoto, A., Kondo, A., & Hasunuma, T. (2024). Mixotrophic culture enhances fucoxanthin production in the haptophyte Pavlova gyrans. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 108. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-024-13199-y
