Fucoidan combats inflammatory bowel disorders
New research published in the international journal PLOS ONE supports the potential for Maritech® fucoidan extracts to combat inflammatory bowel disorders.
Researchers from the University of Tasmania (UTAS) demonstrated that oral administration of fucoidan extracted from the Fucus vesiculosus seaweed species significantly reduces the pathology of the debilitating bowel disorder ulcerative colitis. Cumulative histological disease scores for the distal colon were reduced by up to 36.3% by fucoidan extracts. Weight loss – a common and often undesirable side effect of colitis – was reduced by more than 50%.
“This study extends our current understanding of oral administration of fucoidan extracts during acute colitis, which is a crucial step towards its use as a mainstream treatment,” wrote study author Associate Professor in Pharmacological Sciences (UTAS), Dr Nuri Güven. “To show that fucoidan can reduce inflammation and retain epithelial integrity is extremely encouraging.”
Due to modern dietary changes in recent decades, Marinova’s Chief Scientist, Dr Helen Fitton, foreshadows a rapidly growing need for new natural therapies to address the increasing incidence of ulcerative colitis,: “To have identified a natural and safe extract with potential to alleviate these types of disorders is very exciting indeed,” she says.
The research paper, entitled Fucoidan Extracts Ameliorate Acute Colitis, describes the therapeutic potential for two of Marinova’s Maritech® fucoidan extracts. Based on the study results, Marinova has extended its collaborative research arrangements with the University and will be sponsoring further studies in the area of gut health over the next 2 years.