The potential antioxidant effect of Sargassum fulvellum extract treatment: a study on Ins-1, VSMC, Hep2G cells for anti-diabetes, anti-arteriosclerosis, and anti-hypertension effects

Abstract

Recently seaweed resources are used as ral materials for food and cosmetics due to their antioxidant and antibacterial activitties. Macroalgae is an important primary producer in coastal region and the diversity and health status of macroalgae population can be a significant indicator for marine ecosystem. Specifically seaweed forest consisted of macro brown algae (kelp) shows the similar function of land forest and provides spawning spot, refuge place as well as habitat for various marine organisms. Also seaweeds have been studied as new sources of a variety of compounds showing biological activities of potential medicinal value. Sargassum fulvellum (Sargassaceae, Fucales) is brown macroalgae and is cultured for food for human and animal in Korea. In this study, we aimed to investigate anti-oxidative effect of Sargassum fulvellum and examine the antioxidative activity-induced further effects on neural cell, INS-1, vascular smooth muscle cell, and HepG2 cell. The Sargassum fulvellum fraction showing high antioxidative effect induced insulin gene expression, and showed inhibitory effect on neural cell death by Fe and Zn as well as vascular smooth muscle cell and HepG2 cell proliferation by PDGF-BB. These results suggest that Sargassum fulvellum could be considered as a potential source for the antioxidant which may be used as natural antioxidant or raw materials of food supplement.