A marine carotenoid, fucoxanthin, induces regulatory T cells and inhibits Th17 cell differentiation in vitro

Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2011;75(10):2066-9. doi: 10.1271/bbb.110459. Epub 2011 Oct 7.

Abstract

Fucoxanthin is a non-provitamin A carotenoid contained in brown seaweeds. We found that it suppressed interleukin-17 secretion from CD4(+) T cells under IL-17-producing T (Th17) cell development conditions. By evaluating T cell differentiation in vitro, fucoxanthin and its metabolite fucoxanthinol inhibited T cell differentiation into Th17 cells. This suggests that fucoxanthin can improve inflammatory diseases due to Th17 cells.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Differentiation / drug effects*
  • Forkhead Transcription Factors / genetics
  • Gene Expression Regulation / drug effects
  • Interleukin-17 / biosynthesis
  • Mice
  • Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 1, Group F, Member 3 / genetics
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / cytology*
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / drug effects*
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / metabolism
  • Th17 Cells / cytology*
  • Th17 Cells / drug effects*
  • Th17 Cells / metabolism
  • Xanthophylls / pharmacology*

Substances

  • Forkhead Transcription Factors
  • Foxp3 protein, mouse
  • Interleukin-17
  • Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 1, Group F, Member 3
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Xanthophylls
  • fucoxanthin