Fucoidan Inhibition of Osteosarcoma Cells is Species and Molecular Weight Dependent

Abstract

Fucoidan is a brown algae-derived polysaccharide having several biomedical applications. This study simultaneously compares the anti-cancer activities of crude fucoidans from <i>Fucus</i> <i>vesiculosus</i> and <i>Sargassum</i> <i>filipendula</i>, and effects of low (LMW, 10-50 kDa), medium (MMW, 50-100 kDa) and high (HMW, >100 kDa) molecular weight fractions of <i>S.</i> <i>filipendula</i> fucoidan against osteosarcoma cells. Glucose, fucose and acid levels were lower and sulphation was higher in <i>F.</i> <i>vesiculosus</i> crude fucoidan compared to <i>S.</i> <i>filipendula</i> crude fucoidan. MMW had the highest levels of sugars, acids and sulphation among molecular weight fractions. There was a dose-dependent drop in focal adhesion formation and proliferation of cells for all fucoidan-types, but <i>F.</i> <i>vesiculosus</i> fucoidan and HMW had the strongest effects. G1-phase arrest was induced by <i>F.</i> <i>vesiculosus</i> fucoidan, MMW and HMW, however <i>F.</i> <i>vesiculosus</i> fucoidan treatment also caused accumulation in the sub-G1-phase. Mitochondrial damage occurred for all fucoidan-types, however <i>F.</i> <i>vesiculosus</i> fucoidan led to mitochondrial fragmentation. Annexin V/PI, TUNEL and cytochrome c staining confirmed stress-induced apoptosis-like cell death for <i>F.</i> <i>vesiculosus</i> fucoidan and features of stress-induced necrosis-like cell death for <i>S.</i> <i>filipendula</i> fucoidans. There was also variation in penetrability of different fucoidans inside the cell. These differences in anti-cancer activity of fucoidans are applicable for osteosarcoma treatment.