Cytoprotective effect of fucoxanthin isolated from brown algae Sargassum siliquastrum against H2O2-induced cell damage

In this study, the cytoprotective effect of fucoxanthin, which was isolated from Sargassum siliquastrum , against oxidative stress induced DNA damage was investigated. Fucoxanthin, a kind of carotenoid, was pretreated to the medium and the protective effect was evaluated via 2′,7′-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate, 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide, and comet assays. Intracellular reactive oxygen species were over produced by addition of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), but the production was significantly reduced by the treatment with fucoxanthin. The fucoxanthin strongly enhanced cell viability against H 2 O 2 induced oxidative damage and the inhibitory effect of cell damage was a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, a protective effect against oxidative stress-induced cell apoptosis was also demonstrated via nuclear staining with Hoechst dye. These results clearly indicate that fucoxanthin isolated from S. siliquastrum possesses prominent antioxidant activity against H 2 O 2 -mediated cell damage and which might be a potential therapeutic agent for treating or preventing several diseases implicated with oxidative stress.