Mitigation action of fucoidan on anticancer drug treatment side effects

▼Verification of ability of fucoidan to mitigate side effects of anti-cancer treatment

The anti-cancer agents, is the generic name of medicines that have the ability to kill cancer cells. They are used for the purpose of curing cancer by killing cancer cells, to facilitate tumor resection by shrinking the lesion prior to a surgery or to prevent recurrence or postoperative metastasis. There are anti-cancer agents with various degrees of efficacy, but most of the anti-cancer agents have side effects. Because anti-cancer agents act on not only cancer cells but also on normal cells. Immune cells are attacked by anti-cancer agents, as well. Further, the immune system will be impaired in order to repair the organ that was destroyed by anti-cancer drugs. Weakened immunity performance is the core of the side effects. Therefore, if it is possible to increase the performance of immunity that was weakened by anti-cancer drugs, it can lead to mitigation of anti-cancer side effects.


Using a mice model which was given an anti-cancer agent, we verified the ability of Fucoidan Mix AG to mitigate anti-cancer agent side effects.

Procedure of the experiment
To prepare a model mouse for anti-cancer agent treatment, we induced side effects (immunosuppressant) by administering an anti-cancer agent "5-fluorouracil (5-FU)" 5 times every other day. We also prepared another group of mice that were administered physiological saline that contains no 5-FU, in order to understand the state of the immune system when no anti-cancer treatment is provided.


These two groups of mice were further divided into two (to make a total of 4 groups), one was given a normal (Control) feed and the other group was given Fucoidan Mix AG, while being administered the anti-cancer agent. After 12 days, we took immune cells from the spleen, and made measurements to see various immune indicators.

Effects of Fucoidan Mix AG on anti-cancer drug side effects
More than one indices indicated that the immunity that had weaken by the use of anti-cancer agents, rose after taking Fucoidan Mix AG.

High-molecular weight fucoidan & Low-molecular weight fucoidan

Today, active research is conducted on fucoidan and various bioactive functions of fucoidan, such as “anti-cancer action,” “cholesterol-lowering action,” “blood-pressure lowering action” and “anti-virus action,” have been revealed.

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