Pacific seaweed extract calms inflamed immune cells in lab tests
Arroyo-Xochihua O, Sánchez-Medina A, López-Franco Ó, Olivares-Bañuelos TN, Zepeda RC
Medicinal Plants
The tangled brown seaweed you might step over while tide-pooling on a rocky Pacific beach could hold sulfated sugars that quiet down inflammation, the same kind of process behind swelling from a scraped knee or sore joint.
Scientists studied a brown seaweed called Egregia menziesii, common along rocky Pacific shorelines, to see how it affects immune cells called macrophages that respond to infection and injury. They found an extract of the seaweed helped cells close a lab-made wound faster and reduced two inflammation-signaling proteins, without harming the cells. The effect seems to come from natural sugar-like compounds in the seaweed, including sulfated polysaccharides and mannitol.
Key Findings
Ethanol-water extract and its aqueous fraction reduced the open wound area by up to 40% at 24 hours and 10% at 48 hours in a cell-based scratch assay
Extract and fractions maintained at least 90% cell viability across tested concentrations, indicating low toxicity
The extract lowered IL-1β and IL-6 mRNA expression (fold change under 0.5 and 3, respectively) and protein levels in LPS-activated macrophages
chevron_right Technical Summary
A brown seaweed called Egregia menziesii, found along the Pacific coast, contains compounds that calm overactive immune cells and help damaged tissue close faster in lab tests, hinting at a future natural anti-inflammatory ingredient.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Chemical profiling of Egregia menziesii and anti-inflammatory potential in LPS-activated RAW 264.7 macrophages.
Egregia menziesii (E. menziesii) is recognized for its anticancer and hypoglycemic properties. Chemically, it contains compounds with potential anti-inflammatory activity. Within the immune system,...
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Egregia menziesii is a species of kelp known commonly as feather boa kelp. It is the only species in the monotypic genus Egregia. It is native to the coastline of western North America from Alaska to Baja California, where it is a common kelp of the intertidal zone.