{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,25]],"date-time":"2026-09-25T04:37:33Z","timestamp":1790311053494,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":52,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"11","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,3]],"date-time":"2025-11-03T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1762128000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001809","name":"National Natural Science Foundation of China","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","award":["82204272"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["82204272"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001809","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001809","name":"National Natural Science Foundation of China","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","award":["42276137"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["42276137"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001809","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"name":"Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China","award":["LY24H300005"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["LY24H300005"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Marine Drugs"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that can lead to intestinal complications and systemic risks, significantly increasing the likelihood of colorectal cancer in individuals with long-term illness. Fucoidan has shown potential in alleviating UC; however, the structure\u2013activity relationship remains challenging. The present study aims to compare fucoidan (CF) and its degraded derivatives (DF) in the prevention and treatment of UC. Structural analysis demonstrated that CF and DF possess similar monosaccharide compositions and sulfation content; however, they differ significantly in molecular weight, with CF measuring 582 kDa and DF 2.3 kDa. Additionally, DF display a lower degree of branching compared to CF. Results from the mouse model demonstrated that both CF and DF can effectively alleviate clinical symptoms of UC; however, the underlying mechanisms of action are likely to differ. Both CF and DF produced comparable improvements in the disease activity index. CF demonstrated superior efficacy in alleviating weight loss and maintaining colon length, whereas DF showed greater benefits in protecting the colonic mucosa and reducing inflammatory infiltration. The gut microbiota analysis indicated that DF was more effective in restoring microbial diversity in UC mice. Both CF and DF were capable of modulating microbial imbalances at the phylum and genus levels, although the specific taxa exhibited differences.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/md23110426","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,3]],"date-time":"2025-11-03T16:18:42Z","timestamp":1762186722000},"page":"426","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Structural Comparison and Therapeutic Effects on Ulcerative Colitis of Fucoidan and Its Derivative from Saccharina japonica"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"23","author":[{"given":"Yanlei","family":"Yu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Pharmaceutical Science & Collaborative Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta Region Green Pharmaceuticals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xiaoshu","family":"Jin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Pharmaceutical Science & Collaborative Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta Region Green Pharmaceuticals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yunjie","family":"Zhao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Pharmaceutical Science & Collaborative Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta Region Green Pharmaceuticals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ningning","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Pharmaceutical Science & Collaborative Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta Region Green Pharmaceuticals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yi","family":"Hua","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Pharmaceutical Science & Collaborative Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta Region Green Pharmaceuticals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Youmin","family":"Ying","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Pharmaceutical Science & Collaborative Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta Region Green Pharmaceuticals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2862-2907","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Bin","family":"Wei","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Pharmaceutical Science & Collaborative Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta Region Green Pharmaceuticals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0058-060X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Hong","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Pharmaceutical Science & Collaborative Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta Region Green Pharmaceuticals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,3]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"643","DOI":"10.1016\/j.gtc.2020.07.005","article-title":"Epidemiology and pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis","volume":"49","author":"Du","year":"2020","journal-title":"Gastroenterol. Clin. N. Am."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1763","DOI":"10.1136\/gutjnl-2024-332489","article-title":"Acute severe ulcerative colitis trials: The past, the present and the future","volume":"73","author":"Honap","year":"2024","journal-title":"Gut"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"74","DOI":"10.1038\/s41572-020-0205-x","article-title":"Ulcerative colitis","volume":"6","author":"Kobayashi","year":"2020","journal-title":"Nat. Rev. Dis. Primers"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"108","DOI":"10.1136\/gutjnl-2016-312135","article-title":"Interplay of host genetics and gut microbiota underlying the onset and clinical presentation of inflammatory bowel disease","volume":"67","author":"Imhann","year":"2018","journal-title":"Gut"},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"95","DOI":"10.1007\/s00535-017-1384-4","article-title":"Analysis of endoscopic brush samples identified mucosa-associated dysbiosis in inflammatory bowel disease","volume":"53","author":"Nishino","year":"2018","journal-title":"J. Gastroenterol."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1275","DOI":"10.1136\/gutjnl-2013-304833","article-title":"A decrease of the butyrate-producing species Roseburia hominis and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii defines dysbiosis in patients with ulcerative colitis","volume":"63","author":"Machiels","year":"2014","journal-title":"Gut"},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"571","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(23)00966-2","article-title":"Ulcerative colitis","volume":"402","author":"Berre","year":"2023","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"37","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijbiomac.2016.06.100","article-title":"Bioactivities, isolation and purification methods of polysaccharides from natural products: A review","volume":"92","author":"Shi","year":"2016","journal-title":"Int. J. Biol. Macromol."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"32447","DOI":"10.1021\/acsomega.0c04591","article-title":"Structure and biological activity analysis of fucoidan isolated from Sargassum siliquosum","volume":"5","author":"Wang","year":"2020","journal-title":"ACS Omega"},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"222","DOI":"10.1016\/j.foodchem.2018.08.034","article-title":"Structural elucidation of fucoidan from Cladosiphon okamuranus (Okinawa mozuku)","volume":"272","author":"Lim","year":"2019","journal-title":"Food Chem."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"123739","DOI":"10.1016\/j.carbpol.2025.123739","article-title":"A low molecular weight fucoidan with high sulfation has anti-obesity activity via gut microbiota regulation","volume":"364","author":"Yu","year":"2025","journal-title":"Carbohydr. Polym."},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"129908","DOI":"10.1016\/j.foodchem.2021.129908","article-title":"A fucoidan from Sargassum fusiforme with novel structure and its regulatory effects on intestinal microbiota in high-fat diet-fed mice","volume":"358","author":"Liu","year":"2021","journal-title":"Food Chem."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"196","DOI":"10.1186\/s12906-022-03680-4","article-title":"Curative effects of fucoidan on acetic acid induced ulcerative colitis in rats via modulating aryl hydrocarbon receptor and phosphodiesterase-4","volume":"22","author":"Bagalagel","year":"2022","journal-title":"BMC Complement. Med. Ther."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"137811","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijbiomac.2024.137811","article-title":"Fucoidan from Stichopus chloronotus relieved DSS induced ulcerative colitis through inhibiting intestinal barrier disruption and oxidative stress","volume":"283","author":"Li","year":"2024","journal-title":"Int. J. Biol. Macromol."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1016\/j.nutres.2023.11.009","article-title":"Fucoidan alleviated dextran sulfate sodium-induced ulcerative colitis with improved intestinal barrier, reshaped gut microbiota composition, and promoted autophagy in male C57BL\/6 mice","volume":"122","author":"Li","year":"2024","journal-title":"Nutr. Res."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"14864","DOI":"10.1021\/acs.jafc.2c06417","article-title":"Fucoidan ameliorated dextran sulfate sodium-induced ulcerative colitis by modulating gut microbiota and bile acid metabolism","volume":"70","author":"Liu","year":"2022","journal-title":"J. Agric. Food Chem."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"14199","DOI":"10.1021\/acs.jafc.4c03039","article-title":"Ameliorated effects of fucoidan on dextran sulfate sodium-induced ulcerative colitis and accompanying anxiety and depressive behaviors in aged C57BL\/6 mice","volume":"72","author":"Li","year":"2024","journal-title":"J. Agric. Food Chem."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Van Weelden, G., Bobi\u0144ski, M., Ok\u0142a, K., Van Weelden, W.J., Romano, A., and Pijnenborg, J.M.A. (2019). Fucoidan structure and activity in relation to anti-cancer mechanisms. Mar. Drugs, 17.","DOI":"10.3390\/md17010032"},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1145","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijbiomac.2018.10.129","article-title":"Primary structure and anticoagulant activity of fucoidan from the sea cucumber Holothuria polii","volume":"121","author":"Mansour","year":"2019","journal-title":"Int. J. Biol. Macromol."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"129326","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijbiomac.2024.129326","article-title":"Fucoidan from brown seaweed Tubinaria decurrens: Structure and structure-anticancer activity relationship","volume":"259","author":"Nguyen","year":"2024","journal-title":"Int. J. Biol. Macromol."},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"405","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijbiomac.2017.03.182","article-title":"Isolation of fucoidan from Sargassum polycystum brown algae: Structural characterization, in vitro antioxidant and anticancer activity","volume":"102","author":"Palanisamy","year":"2017","journal-title":"Int. J. Biol. Macromol."},{"key":"ref_22","first-page":"118129","article-title":"Ulcerative colitis: Gut microbiota, immunopathogenesis and application of natural products in animal models","volume":"258","author":"Galvez","year":"2020","journal-title":"Life Sci."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Tan, J., Wang, J., Geng, L., Yue, Y., Wu, N., and Zhang, Q. (2020). Comparative study of fucoidan from Saccharina japonica and its depolymerized fragment on Adriamycin-induced nephrotic syndrome in rats. Mar. Drugs, 18.","DOI":"10.3390\/md18030137"},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"8527","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-017-08938-3","article-title":"Mucus organisation is shaped by colonic content; a new view","volume":"7","author":"Kamphuis","year":"2017","journal-title":"Sci. Rep."},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"103017","DOI":"10.1016\/j.autrev.2021.103017","article-title":"The influence of cytokines on the complex pathology of ulcerative colitis","volume":"21","author":"Nakase","year":"2022","journal-title":"Autoimmun. Rev."},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"649463","DOI":"10.3389\/fimmu.2021.649463","article-title":"Tiliroside ameliorates ulcerative colitis by restoring the M1\/M2 macrophage balance via the HIF-1\u03b1\/glycolysis pathway","volume":"12","author":"Zhuang","year":"2021","journal-title":"Front. Immunol."},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1312","DOI":"10.1080\/00365520701409035","article-title":"Tissue levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha correlates with grade of inflammation in untreated ulcerative colitis","volume":"42","author":"Olsen","year":"2007","journal-title":"Scand. J. Gastroenterol."},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"5999","DOI":"10.1007\/s00253-020-10665-1","article-title":"Lizhong decoction ameliorates ulcerative colitis in mice via modulating gut microbiota and its metabolites","volume":"104","author":"Zou","year":"2020","journal-title":"Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol."},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3361","DOI":"10.1038\/s41467-022-31113-w","article-title":"A highly conserved core bacterial microbiota with nitrogen-fixation capacity inhabits the xylem sap in maize plants","volume":"13","author":"Zhang","year":"2022","journal-title":"Nat. Commun."},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"149","DOI":"10.1186\/s13073-021-00957-0","article-title":"Gut microbial determinants of clinically important improvement in patients with rheumatoid arthritis","volume":"13","author":"Gupta","year":"2021","journal-title":"Genome Med."},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"13780","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.0706625104","article-title":"Molecular-phylogenetic characterization of microbial community imbalances in human inflammatory bowel diseases","volume":"104","author":"Frank","year":"2007","journal-title":"Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA"},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Stojanov, S., Berlec, A., and \u0160trukelj, B. (2020). The influence of probiotics on the Firmicutes\/Bacteroidetes ratio in the treatment of obesity and inflammatory bowel disease. Microorganisms, 8.","DOI":"10.3390\/microorganisms8111715"},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Zhu, Y., Chen, B., Zhang, X., Akbar, M.T., Wu, T., Zhang, Y., Zhi, L., and Shen, Q. (2024). Exploration of the Muribaculaceae family in the gut microbiota: Diversity, metabolism, and function. Nutrients, 16.","DOI":"10.3390\/nu16162660"},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"114","DOI":"10.1186\/s40168-024-01819-8","article-title":"Dietary ellagic acid therapy for CNS autoimmunity: Targeting on Alloprevotella rava and propionate metabolism","volume":"12","author":"Han","year":"2024","journal-title":"Microbiome"},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Singh, S.B., Carroll-Portillo, A., and Lin, H.C. (2023). Desulfovibrio in the gut: The enemy within?. Microorganisms, 11.","DOI":"10.3390\/microorganisms11071772"},{"key":"ref_36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"244","DOI":"10.1038\/nature25019","article-title":"Moving beyond microbiome-wide associations to causal microbe identification","volume":"552","author":"Surana","year":"2017","journal-title":"Nature"},{"key":"ref_37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2276","DOI":"10.1681\/ASN.2022020189","article-title":"Expansion of Escherichia-Shigella in gut is associated with the onset and response to immunosuppressive therapy of IgA nephropathy","volume":"33","author":"Zhao","year":"2022","journal-title":"J. Am. Soc. Nephrol."},{"key":"ref_38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"110716","DOI":"10.1016\/j.foodres.2021.110716","article-title":"Fostering next-generation probiotics in human gut by targeted dietary modulation: An emerging perspective","volume":"150","author":"Kumari","year":"2021","journal-title":"Food Res. Int."},{"key":"ref_39","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"627","DOI":"10.1038\/s41591-024-03405-9","article-title":"The gut-brain axis underlying hepatic encephalopathy in liver cirrhosis","volume":"31","author":"He","year":"2025","journal-title":"Nat. Med."},{"key":"ref_40","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"613","DOI":"10.1038\/s41575-021-00449-x","article-title":"Helicobacter pylori infection and antibiotic resistance-from biology to clinical implications","volume":"18","author":"Yamaoka","year":"2021","journal-title":"Nat. Rev. Gastroenterol. Hepatol."},{"key":"ref_41","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"154052","DOI":"10.1016\/j.phymed.2022.154052","article-title":"Huangqin decoction ameliorates DSS-induced ulcerative colitis: Role of gut microbiota and amino acid metabolism, mTOR pathway and intestinal epithelial barrier","volume":"100","author":"Li","year":"2022","journal-title":"Phytomedicine"},{"key":"ref_42","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"971","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cmet.2015.10.001","article-title":"Dietary fiber-induced improvement in glucose metabolism is associated with increased abundance of Prevotella","volume":"22","author":"Nilsson","year":"2015","journal-title":"Cell Metab."},{"key":"ref_43","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"64","DOI":"10.1016\/j.gpb.2019.03.001","article-title":"Inulin can alleviate metabolism disorders in ob\/ob mice by partially restoring leptin-related pathways mediated by gut microbiota","volume":"17","author":"Song","year":"2019","journal-title":"Genom. Proteom. Bioinform."},{"key":"ref_44","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"fnac072","DOI":"10.1093\/femsle\/fnac072","article-title":"Roles of intestinal parabacteroides in human health and diseases","volume":"369","author":"Cui","year":"2022","journal-title":"FEMS Microbiol. Lett."},{"key":"ref_45","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"121312","DOI":"10.1016\/j.lfs.2022.121312","article-title":"Deferasirox alleviates DSS-induced ulcerative colitis in mice by inhibiting ferroptosis and improving intestinal microbiota","volume":"314","author":"Wu","year":"2023","journal-title":"Life Sci."},{"key":"ref_46","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"166","DOI":"10.1053\/j.gastro.2021.09.061","article-title":"Transferable immunoglobulin A-coated Odoribacter splanchnicus in responders to fecal microbiota transplantation for ulcerative colitis limits colonic inflammation","volume":"162","author":"Lima","year":"2022","journal-title":"Gastroenterology"},{"key":"ref_47","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"350","DOI":"10.1021\/ac60111a017","article-title":"Colorimetric method for determination of sugars and related substances","volume":"28","author":"DuBois","year":"1956","journal-title":"Anal. Chem."},{"key":"ref_48","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"248","DOI":"10.1016\/0003-2697(76)90527-3","article-title":"A rapid and sensitive method for the quantitation of microgram quantities of protein utilizing the principle of protein-dye binding","volume":"72","author":"Bradford","year":"1976","journal-title":"Anal. Biochem."},{"key":"ref_49","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"190","DOI":"10.1016\/0003-2697(92)90194-C","article-title":"A colorimetric method for the quantitation of uronic acids and a specific assay for galacturonic acid","volume":"201","author":"Taylor","year":"1992","journal-title":"Anal. Biochem."},{"key":"ref_50","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"106","DOI":"10.1042\/bj0840106","article-title":"A note on the determination of the ester sulphate content of sulphated polysaccharides","volume":"84","author":"Dodgson","year":"1962","journal-title":"Biochem. J."},{"key":"ref_51","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"200","DOI":"10.1039\/C7AN01530E","article-title":"Revisiting monosaccharide analysis-Quantitation of a comprehensive set of monosaccharides using dynamic multiple reaction monitoring","volume":"143","author":"Xu","year":"2018","journal-title":"Analyst"},{"key":"ref_52","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"9168","DOI":"10.1021\/acs.jafc.8b05581","article-title":"Dietary intake of whole strawberry inhibited colonic inflammation in dextran-sulfate-sodium-treated mice via restoring immune homeostasis and alleviating gut microbiota dysbiosis","volume":"67","author":"Han","year":"2019","journal-title":"J. Agric. Food Chem."}],"container-title":["Marine Drugs"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1660-3397\/23\/11\/426\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,5]],"date-time":"2025-11-05T05:14:13Z","timestamp":1762319653000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1660-3397\/23\/11\/426"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,3]]},"references-count":52,"journal-issue":{"issue":"11","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,11]]}},"alternative-id":["md23110426"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/md23110426","relation":{},"ISSN":["1660-3397"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1660-3397","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,3]]}}}