Chemical properties and toxicology studies of fucoidan extracted from Malaysian Sargassum binderi

Fucoidan is a sulfated polysaccharide that consists mainly of fucose and is found in brown seaweeds. In this study, fucoidan was extracted from Sargassum binderi (Fsar) from Malaysia and subsequently characterized in terms of composition, structure and toxicology. It was found that the molecular weight, polydispersity index, monosaccharide profile and degree of sulfation of Fsar differed from those of commercial food-grade fucoidan (Fysk). NMR analysis suggested that the main structure of Fsar was →3)fuc-2-OSO3-(1→3)fuc-2-OSO3-(1→. A cytotoxicity study employing up to 200 mg/mL Sargassum binderi extract showed that cell inhibition was less than 50% (IC50), while acute toxicity results classified S. binderi as category 5 (unclassified) according to the OECD Guideline 423, as no mortality was observed at the highest dosage (2,000 mg/kg). Both toxicity results showed that this material is safe to be consumed. The chemical characteristics and non-toxicity of Fsar demonstrate its potential in biological and food product applications.