1. The antiangiogenic and antitumor properties of Grateloupia longifolia polysaccharide (GLP), a new type of polysaccharide isolated from the marine alga, were investigated with several in vitro and in vivo models. Possible mechanisms underlying its antiangiogenic activity were also assessed. 2. GLP dose-dependently inhibited proliferation of human microvascular endothelial cells (HMEC-1) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC), with IC50 values of 0.86 and 0.64 mg ml(-1), respectively. In tube formation and cell migration assays using HMEC-1 cells, noncytotoxic doses of GLP significantly inhibited formation of intact tube networks and reduced the number of migratory cells. Inhibition by GLP was VEGF-independent. 3. In the chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay, GLP (2.5 microg egg(-1)) reduced new vessel formation compared with the vehicle control. GLP (0.1 mg plug(-1)) also reduced the vessel density in Matrigel plugs implanted in mice. 4. The levels of pan and phosphorylated receptors for VEGF, VEGFR-1 (flt-1) and VEGFR-2 (KDR) were not significantly altered by 5 mg ml(-1) GLP treatment of HMEC-1, although tissue factor (TF) showed significant decreases at both mRNA and protein levels following GLP treatment. 5. In mice bearing sarcoma-180 cells, intravenous administration of GLP (200 mg kg(-1)) decreased tumor weight by 52% without obvious toxicity. Vascular density in sections of the tumor was reduced by 64% after GLP treatment. 6. Collectively, these results indicate that GLP has antitumor properties, associated at least, in part, with the antiangiogenesis induced by downregulation of TF.