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Antitumor activity of marine algae

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Abstract

Powdered tissue from 46 species of air-dried marine algae (four green, 21 brown and 21 red algae) were screened for antitumor activity. Significant activity against Ehrlich carcinoma was found in the brown algae Scytosiphon lomentaria (69.8% inhibition), Lessonia nigrescens (60.0%), Laminaria japonica (57.6%), Sargassum ringgoldianum (46.5%), the red algae Porphyra yezoensis (53.2%) and Eucheuma gelatinae (52.1%) and the green alga Enteromorpha prolifera (51.7%). Five brown and four red algae showed appreciable antitumor activity against Meth-A fibrosarcoma. To identify specific molecules with antitumor activity, 15 kinds of polysaccharide preparations of seaweed origin and 24 kinds of lipid fractions extracted from various seaweeds were tested. Appreciable inhibition of Ehrlich carcinoma was found for fucoidan preparations from Undaria pinnatifida and Sargassum ringgoldianum, for carrageenans and for porphyran. Several glycolipid and phospholipid fractions from brown and red algae were effective against Meth-A fibrosarcoma.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Marine Biochemistry, Faculty of Bioresources, Mie University, Tsu, Mie 514, Japan

    Hiroyuki Noda, Hideomi Amano & Koichi Arashima

  2. Department of Fisheries, College of Agriculture & Veterinary Medicine, Nihon University, 154, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, Japan

    Kazutosi Nisizawa

Authors
  1. Hiroyuki Noda
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  2. Hideomi Amano
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  3. Koichi Arashima
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  4. Kazutosi Nisizawa
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Noda, H., Amano, H., Arashima, K. et al. Antitumor activity of marine algae. Hydrobiologia 204, 577–584 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00040290

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