Marinova Newsletter

Fucoidan shines in Natural Pearl skincare

Marinova is pleased to promote the international launch of Natural Pearl, a scientifically formulated range of premium skincare products. Developed by Professor Pete Smith, a leading allergist and immunologist, two of the high end products in the Natural Pearl range contain Marinoplex™, an innovative blend of certified organic fucoidan developed and manufactured by Marinova.

These two products – Natural Pearl Glow and Natural Pearl Golden Youth – have been created by Professor Smith to address the causes of aging rather than just the signs and symptoms.

Glow targets those areas of the body subject to secondary sun damage (such as the neck) and Golden Youth has been formulated to enhance anti-aging and assist in sunspot reduction. The unique fucoidan in Marinoplex™ works to reduce redness and improve consistency in skin tone and colour. Natural Pearl products are appropriate for all skin types and work effectively with existing skincare regimes, or as stand-alone products.

Professor Smith and his team developed this high end range of skincare products over the course of five years while upholding a commitment to making skincare simple, effective, easy to use and – above all – natural. To find out more about the Natural Pearl range of skincare products please click here.

Fucoidan in the headlines

Anti-viral activity against canine distemper

New data had been published demonstrating the activity of fucoidan against canine distemper, a condition caused by a measles-related virus that affects a wide variety of animals.

Although canine distemper is most commonly associated with dogs, this virus also affects foxes, pandas and some species of cats and primates. 

Canine distemper is a debilitating condition and can impact on gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts as well as the brain and spinal cord. Whilst there is an effective vaccine for distemper, there is no known therapy for the disease in animals that have not been vaccinated. In this research, fucoidan at extremely low levels inhibited entry of the canine distemper virus. This indicates potential for a therapeutic role in veterinary and animal health applications.

Trejo-Avila LM, Morales-Martínez ME, Ricque-Marie D, Cruz-Suarez LE, Zapata-Benavides P, Morán-Santibañez K, Rodríguez-Padilla C. In vitro anti-canine distemper virus activity of fucoidan extracted from the brown alga Cladosiphon okamuranus Virusdisease. 2014 Dec;25(4):474-80.

Reduction of chemotherapy side effects

It is common for patients undergoing chemotherapy to experience debilitating gastrointestinal side effects. Recent research conducted on mice has suggested that dietary fucoidan, derived from sea cucumbers, could prevent damage caused to the intestines as a result of chemotherapy.

Mice that were administered fucoidan exhibited less intestinal damage; as demonstrated both physically and through measurement of inflammatory markers. In addition, Immunoglobulin A - an antibody that that plays a critical role in immunity - was increased in fucoidan-treated mice. The researchers concluded that fucoidan could be a useful agent to decrease chemotherapy-induced gastrointestinal side effects.

Zuo T, Li X, Chang Y, Duan G, Yu L, Zheng R, Xue C, Tang Q. Dietary fucoidan of Acaudina molpadioides and its enzymatically degraded fragments could prevent intestinal mucositis induced by chemotherapy in mice. Food Funct. 2015 Feb 11;6(2):415-22.

Fucoidan - a potential therapeutic for pancreatic cancer

In earlier animal research it has been shown that fucoidan may lessen the effects of pancreatic cancer, possibly as a result of the ability of fucoidan to block cell markers known as “selectins”. In the latest research in this area, the effects of fucoidan have been studied in vitro using a specific pancreatic cancer cell line. 

The research indicated that fucoidan decreased the ability of cancer cells to secrete the matrix-degrading enzymes they required to metastasize and spread. The researchers concluded that fucoidan is worthy of further investigation as an agent to treat pancreatic cancer.

Delma CR, Somasundaram ST, Srinivasan GP, Khursheed M, Bashyam MD, Aravindan N. Fucoidan from Turbinaria conoides: A multifaceted 'deliverable' to combat pancreatic cancer progression. Int J Biol Macromol. 2014 Dec 23;74C:447-457

Performance enhancing properties of fucoidan

For the first time in an in vivo model, fucoidan has been shown to exert an anti-fatigue effect and improve exercise performance.

Mice were given a human equivalent dose of either 1.75g or 3.5g of fucoidan per day for a period of three weeks. During this three week period, endurance, swimming and grip strength tests were administered to the mice.

Fucoidan supplementation significantly boosted endurance during a swimming test and increased grip strength in a dose-dependent manner. Mice supplemented with fucoidan also demonstrated reduced fatigue with significantly reduced levels of end products of exercise-induced metabolic stress, such as lactate and ammonia, indicating more efficient metabolic clearance.

Importantly, the doses used in the study did not produce any adverse effects in the animals.

The researchers concluded that fucoidan could be developed into an antioxidant agent or a blood lipid reducing supplement. It may also serve as a potential ergogenic aid against abnormal metabolite accumulation and could be used to increase glucose utilisation.

Chen YM, Tsai YH, Tsai TY, Chiu YS, Wei L, Chen WC, Huang.  Fucoidan supplementation improves exercise performance and exhibits anti-fatigue action in mice. Nutrients. 2014 Dec 31;7(1):239-52.

Marinova to exhibit at in-cosmetics, Barcelona

Marinova is pleased to announce that it will be presenting its two lead cosmetic ingredients – Maritech® Bright and Maritech® Reverse – at the in-cosmetics trade show held in Barcelona, Spain from 14-16 April 2015. The in-cosmetics trade show is the largest exhibition of personal care ingredients in the world and Marinova’s attendance in Barcelona will represent the first time that certified organic fucoidan extracts with clinically proven benefits have been introduced to the European skincare market.

An invitation is extended to all attendees to visit Marinova at Stand 6L31. Please contact Marinova’s Corporate & Scientific Affairs Officer, Ms Emma Davis, if you wish to arrange a meeting at the in-cosmetics exhibition. Emma may be emailed at emma.davis@marinova.com.au

New Australian patent: for anti-viral formulations

Marinova is pleased to announce the acceptance of its anti-viral formulations patent application in Australia.

Over the past decade Marinova has created a library of fucoidan compounds with potent bioactivity against a range of viruses. A patent application was filed following investigations undertaken at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) in the USA. This research revealed Maritech® fucoidan inhibited multiple strains of Influenza A (including H1N1 and H5N1), Herpes viruses (HSVI and HSVII), Dengue fever (type 2) and SARS Coronavirus. The novelty of this research was recognised by the Australian patent office and the awarding of this patent further strengthens the evidence linking Maritech® fucoidan with the inhibition of viruses at extremely low concentrations.

Patent applications in Europe, the US and China have also been filed to consolidate the company’s strong IP position in the use of fucoidan as a potential natural anti-viral agent.

Should you wish to find out more about the anti-viral properties of our high purity Maritech® fucoidan, please contact us.

Application number 2011217746: Anti-viral formulations

Maritech® fucoidan – a multilayered functional ingredient

Marinova is pleased to announce the recent publication of novel research into the use of Maritech® fucoidan in forming polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEMs) which have potential as drug delivery vehicles, lubricants and anti-fouling coatings.

In a project led by Associate Professor David Beattie of the Ian Wark Research Institute at the University of South Australia, researchers were able to build PEMs by alternating layers of Maritech® fucoidan and chitosan to form a sandwich-like assembly. The structure of the resulting multilayer was varied according to the type of fucoidan used, with Maritech® Undaria pinnatifida and Maritech® Fucus vesiculosus fucoidan yielding significantly different PEMs, and thus reflecting the unique structural features of each fucoidan.

Maritech® fucoidan was chosen for the study based on its unique antibacterial, antiviral and antifouling activities – activities which are not typically present in previously studied PEMs. By optimising the PEM structure and selecting fucoidan of varying bioactivities, a wide range of PEMs may be formed for diverse roles – from the controlled release of other bioactive molecules to the lubrication of medical devices.

From these fascinating insights into fucoidan chemistry, Associate Professor Beattie and Marinova will continue to collaborate to unravel the unique properties of fucoidan, and develop novel applications involving fucoidan PEMs.

The full paper is available from the leading materials science journal – Soft Matter – here.

Meet Marinova – 2015 trade show attendances

Marinova will be attending a number of international trade shows and exhibitions during 2015, including the following:

• Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, California: 5-8           March.
• In-cosmetics, Barcelona: 4-16 April.
• ASCS (Asian Societies of Cosmetic Scientists), Cairns: 29-30 April.
• Vitafoods Europe Conference, Geneva: 5 May. Marinova’s     Business Development Manager, Kevin Krail will be             presenting “Seaweeds and their compounds for health and       nutrition”.
• Supply Side West, Las Vegas: 5-9 October.

We wish to extend a warm invitation to our clients and to all trade show attendees to meet with our representatives at any of these events.

To make a time to meet with Marinova representatives, please email Kevin Krail at kevin.krail@marinova.com.au.

We look forward to seeing you.