Fucoxanthin Attenuates\nAngiogenesis by Blocking the\nVEGFR2-Mediated Signaling Pathway through Binding the Vascular Endothelial\nGrowth Factor

Fucoxanthin, a dietary carotenoid,\nis predominantly found in edible\nbrown algae and is commonly consumed worldwide. Fucoxanthin has been\nshown to possess beneficial health activities such as antidiabetic,\nanti-inflammatory, antimutagenic, and antiobesity; however, the effects\nof fucoxanthin on VEGF-mediated angiogenesis and its possible binding\nwith VEGF are unknown. Here, different lines of evidence supported\nthe suppressive roles of fucoxanthin in VEGF-mediated angiogenesis.\nIn human umbilical vein endothelial cells, fucoxanthin remarkedly\nsuppressed VEGF-mediated cell proliferative, migration, and invasive\nabilities, as well as tube formation, without cytotoxicity. In addition,\nfucoxanthin inhibited the subintestinal vessel formation of zebrafish <i>in vivo</i>. In signaling cascades, fucoxanthin was proposed\nto interact with VEGF, thus attenuating VEGF’s functions in\nactivating the VEGF receptor and its related downstream signaling,\ni.e., phosphorylations of MEK and Erk. Fucoxanthin also significantly\nblocked VEGF-triggered ROS formation. Furthermore, the outcomes of\napplying fucoxanthin in cancer cells were identified, which included\n(i) inhibiting VEGF-mediated cell proliferation and migration and\n(ii) inhibiting NF-κB translocation <i>via</i> limiting\nMMP2 expression. These lines of investigations supported the antiangiogenic\nroles of fucoxanthin, as well as reviewing its signaling mechanisms,\nin blocking the VEGF-triggered responses. The results would benefit\nthe potential development of fucoxanthin for the prevention and treatment\nof angiogenesis-related diseases.