Fucoidan as a renal protectant: mechanistic insights and therapeutic implications of endothelial glycocalyx targeting.

ABSTRACT: The progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is closely associated with damage to the endothelial glycocalyx (eGC) of the renal microvasculature. The eGC, particularly its heparan sulfate (HS) components, is crucial for maintaining the charge-selective barrier and microenvironmental homeostasis. Modern pharmacological investigations of marine brown algae (e.g., Saccharina japonica), traditionally used in medicine for conditions such as "edema," reveal that their principal active component, fucoidan, is a sulfated polysaccharide with marked physicochemical similarities to endogenous HS. This review systematically posits that the core mechanism underlying the nephroprotective effects of fucoidan, as a natural product, lies in its direct targeting and repair of the damaged eGC. Thro

SUBMITTER: Xin P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12855530 | biostudies-literature | 2026

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature