2. Academic Validation
  3. Structure-function relationship of the brown seaweed Undaria pinnatifida laminaran: Protein kinase C-mediated mucus secretion and gut barrier restoration

Structure-function relationship of the brown seaweed Undaria pinnatifida laminaran: Protein kinase C-mediated mucus secretion and gut barrier restoration

  • Carbohydr Polym. 2025 Jun 15:358:123525. doi: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2025.123525.
Kit-Leong Cheong 1,  Lin Chen 2,  Si-Yuan Lu 3,  Amanullah Sabir 2,  Jianping Chen 2,  Zhuo Wang 2,  Suresh Veeraperumal 3,  Jude Juventus Aweya 4,  Xian-Qiang Chen 5,  Saiyi Zhong 6,  Karsoon Tan 7,  A M Abd El-Aty 8
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Aquatic Product Processing and Safety, College of Food Science and Technology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang. China; Department of Biology, College of Science, Shantou University, Guangdong, China.
  • 2 Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Aquatic Product Processing and Safety, College of Food Science and Technology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang. China.
  • 3 Department of Biology, College of Science, Shantou University, Guangdong, China.
  • 4 Department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada.
  • 5 Institute of Marine Drugs, Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning 530200, Guangxi, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
  • 6 Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Aquatic Product Processing and Safety, College of Food Science and Technology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang. China. Electronic address: [email protected].
  • 7 Guangxi Key Laboratory of Beibu Gulf Biodiversity Conservation, Beibu Gulf University, Qinzhou, Guangxi, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
  • 8 Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Giza 12211, Egypt; Department of Medical Pharmacology, Medical Faculty, Ataturk University, Erzurum 25240, Turkey.
PMID: 40383584 DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2025.123525
Abstract

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory condition of the intestine characterized by mucosal damage and a compromised epithelial barrier. This study explored the protective and therapeutic potential of laminaran derived from the Brown seaweed Undaria pinnatifida in promoting Mucin secretion and restoring mucosal barrier integrity. Physicochemical analysis revealed laminaran as having a β-(1 → 3)-linked glucose backbone with β-(1 → 6)-linked branches and a molecular weight of 14.41 kDa. In vitro experiments revealed that laminaran enhanced the expression of mucin-related proteins in a lipopolysaccharide-induced LS174T model. Laminaran also upregulated the expression of sulfotransferases, which are essential for Mucin sulfation, and promoted vesicular transport by increasing the expression of vesicle-associated membrane protein 8 and synaptosome-associated protein-23, facilitating Mucin secretion. These effects are mediated through the protein kinase C (PKC) pathway, which involves PKCα and PKCβII. In an in vivo model, laminaran alleviated dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis, increasing mucus thickness and overall intestinal barrier function. These results suggest that laminaran is a promising therapeutic agent for treating ulcerative colitis, suggesting a novel approach to restoring the mucosal barrier and reducing intestinal inflammation. This study lays the groundwork for developing laminaran-based treatments for ulcerative colitis and Other intestinal diseases associated with epithelial barrier dysfunction.

Keywords

Goblet cell; Laminaran; Mucus; Protein kinase C signaling pathway; Undaria pinnatifida.

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