Types of Fucoidan
Fucoidan is a specific source of sliminess only found in brown algae and there are several types of Fucoidan such as Kombu extracted fucoidan, Wakame(Mekabu) extracted fucoidan and mozuku extracted fucoidan. From recent active researches conducted on fucoidan, various bioactive functions of fucoidan such as “Anti-cancer action”, “Cholesterol-lowering action”, “Reducing Blood-pressure action”, and “Anti-virus action” have been revealed.
Chemically, fucoidan is a high-molecular polysaccharide composed primarily of sulfated fucose. In addition to fucose, the saccharine chain which constitutes Fucoidan includes galactose, mannose, xylose, and uronic acid. The name “Fucoidan” does not represent substances of a given structure, but it is a general term that refers to high-molecular polysaccharides whose main constituent is fucose. Mozuku contains affluent fucoidan that the extract efficiency is much higher than other brown seaweeds. Mekabu extracted fucoidan contains rich fucose, galactose and sulfate. Kombu extracted fucoidan has the strong sliminess and anti-tumor activity. By mixing with several types of algae extracted fucoidan, we can have better effectiveness of fucoidan.