Investigation of the mechanism of nitric oxide production by an extract of brown marine algae and its usefulness as a functional food

Research Project

Project/Area Number	25504014
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
Allocation Type	Multi-year Fund
Section	一般
Research Field	Integrated Nutrition Science
Research Institution	Juntendo University
Principal Investigator	Iesaki Takafumi 順天堂大学, 医学部, 先任准教授 (10348956)
Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha)	渡邉マキノ順天堂大学, 医学部, 准教授 (00255655)
Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha)	Hashimoto Ryota 順天堂大学, 医学部, 助教 (60433786) Kakigi Ryo 順天堂大学, 医学部, 助教 (70614931)
Project Period (FY)	2013-04-01 – 2017-03-31
Project Status	Completed (Fiscal Year 2016)
Budget Amount *help	¥5,070,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,170,000) Fiscal Year 2015: ¥1,560,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥360,000) Fiscal Year 2014: ¥1,560,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥360,000) Fiscal Year 2013: ¥1,950,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥450,000)
Keywords	血管内皮細胞 / 一酸化窒素 / 血管弛緩反応 / フコイダン / 一酸化窒素合成酵素 / 虚血-再灌流障害
Outline of Final Research Achievements	Fucoidan is a natural sulfated polysaccharide obtained from brown marine algae composed predominantly of sulfated fucose. The objectives of the present study are to investigate the effects of fucoidan on cardiovascular system and to explore the mechanism(s) of action, leading to the clarification of scientific basis of its usefulness as a functional food. The present study showed that fucoidan caused vascular relaxation through endothelium-dependent, nitric oxide (NO)-mediated mechanism in isolated rat aorta and this relaxation seemed to be caused through an activation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS).