Fucoxanthin has potential for therapeutic efficacy in neurodegenerative disorders by acting on multiple targets

ABSTRACT

Fucoxanthin, one of the most abundant carotenoids from edible brown seaweeds, for years has been used as a bioactive dietary supplement and functional food ingredient. Recently, fucoxanthin was reported to penetrate the blood–brain barrier, and was superior to other carotenoids to exert anti-neurodegenerative disorder effects via acting on multiple targets, including amyloid protein aggregation, oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, neuronal loss, neurotransmission dysregulation and gut microbiota disorder. However, the concentration of fucoxanthin required for in vivo neuroprotective effects is somewhat high, and the poor bioavailability of this molecule might prevent its clinical use. As such, new strategies have been introduced to overcome these obstacles, and may help to develop fucoxanthin as a novel lead for neurodegenerative disorders. Moreover, it has been shown that some metabolites of fucoxanthin may produce potent in vivo neuroprotective effects. Altogether, these studies suggest the possibility for future development of fucoxanthin as a one-compound-multiple-target or pro-drug type pharmaceutical or nutraceutical treatment for neurodegenerative disorders.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03625284.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02875392.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03613740.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04761406.

KEYWORDS:

• Fucoxanthin
• functional food
• edible brown algae
• amyloid aggregation
• oxidative stress
• neuroinflammation
• neurotransmission dysregulation
• gut microbiota
• neurodegenerative disorders

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Author's contributions

MengXiang Yang, Zhenquan Xuan, Qiyao Wang, Sicheng Yan, C. Benjamin Naman, Jinrong Zhang, Shan He and Xiaojun Yan have written original draft/or revised the manuscript. All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.

Data availability statement

Data sharing is not applicable to this article as no new data were created or analyzed in this study.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81870853), Major program of Ningbo Science and Technology Innovation 2025 (2019B1006), National Natural Science Foundation of Ningbo (2018A610313), Ningbo municipal innovation team of life science and health (2015C110026), LiDakSum Marine Biopharmaceutical Development Fund, and the K. C. Wong Magna Fund in Ningbo University.

Notes on contributors

Mengxiang Yang

Mengxiang Yang is a master student in Ningbo Kangning Hospital and School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315020, China.

Zhenquan Xuan

Zhenquan Xuan is a student in Translational Medicine Center of Pain, Emotion and Cognition, Ningbo Key Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China.

Qiyao Wang

Qiyao Wang is a master student in Translational Medicine Center of Pain, Emotion and Cognition, Ningbo Key Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China.

Sicheng Yan

Sicheng Yan is a master student in Translational Medicine Center of Pain, Emotion and Cognition, Ningbo Key Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China.

Dongsheng Zhou

Dongsheng Zhou is a doctor in Ningbo Kangning Hospital, Ningbo 315020, China.

C. Benjamin Naman

C. Benjamin Naman is a professor in Li Dak Sum Yip Yio Chin Kenneth Li Marine Biopharmaceutical Research Center, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China.

Jinrong Zhang

Jinrong Zhang is a professor in Li Dak Sum Yip Yio Chin Kenneth Li Marine Biopharmaceutical Research Center, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China.

Shan He

Shan He is a professor in Li Dak Sum Yip Yio Chin Kenneth Li Marine Biopharmaceutical Research Center, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China.

Xiaojun Yan

Xiaojun Yan is a professor in Laboratory of Seafood Processing, Innovative and Application Institute, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, 316022, China.

Wei Cui

Wei Cui is a professor in Ningbo Kangning Hospital and School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315020, China.