Extraction of Fucoxanthin from Marine Organisms and Its Therapeutic Effect on Cancer Cells

Abstract

As China’s economy develops and its population grows, resources are becoming increasingly scarce. As a result, attention is shifting towards utilising marine resources, and the ability to process them is an increasingly important area of development.Within the traditional marine industry, kelp is primarily used for fucoidan extraction, with other substances such as kelp pigments often cast off as waste. Fucoxanthin constitutes the major carotenoid component found within kelp pigments. These pigments are believed to possess immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumour properties, and are of multifaceted benefit to human health by counteracting cellular oxidative damage induced by free radicals. Kelp served as the raw material in this study. Macroporous resin was utilized to extract Fucoxanthin from the kelp extract. Only an aqueous ethanol solution was employed for the extraction process. Subsequently, reduced-pressure column chromatography was conducted to quickly enrich the Fucoxanthin. Finally, the anti-tumour activity and free radical scavenging ability of the Fucoxanthin were analyzed. The results of the experiment revealed that Fucoxanthin can be effectively adsorbed by X-5 resin and its adsorption capability is robust. Additionally, using a 60% concentration of ethanol solution can promptly and effectively elute the absorbed Fucoxanthin from the X-5 resin. Moreover, after incubation for 48 hours at a concentration of 80 μg/mL of Fucoxanthin, the expression levels of p65, p52, and p50 genes significantly decreased in cancer cells. Fucoxanthin, a pigment found in kelp, exhibits potent antioxidant activity. The findings suggest that Fucoxanthin possesses the ability to effectively suppress the expression of cancer cells and scavenge free radicals.