Fucoidan derived from Sargassum pallidum alleviates metabolism disorders associated with improvement of cardiac injury and oxidative stress in diabetic mice

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and its complications have become a serious global health epidemic. Cardiovascular complications have considered as a major cause of high mortality in diabetic patients. Fucoidans from brown algae have diverse medicinal activities, however, few studies reported pharmacological activity of Sargassum. pallidum fucoidan (Sp‐Fuc). Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Sp‐Fuc on diabetic symptoms and cardiac injury in spontaneous diabetic db/db mice. SP‐Fuc at 200 mg/(kg/d) was administered intragastrically to db/db mice for 8 weeks, the effects on hyperlipidemia, hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, and cardiac damage, as well as oxidative stress, inflammation, Nrf2/ARE, and NF‐κB signaling pathways, were investigated. Our data demonstrated that Sp‐Fuc significantly (p < 0.05) decreased body weights, hyperlipidemia, and hyperglycemia in db/db mice, along with improved insulin sensitivity. Additionally, Sp‐Fuc significantly (p < 0.05) alleviated cardiac dysfunction and pathological morphology of cardiac tissue. Sp‐Fuc also significantly (p < 0.05) decreased lipid peroxidation, increased antioxidant function, as well as reduced cardiac inflammation, possibly through Nrf2/ARE and NF‐κB signaling. Sp‐Fuc can ameliorate the metabolism disorders of glucose and lipid in diabetic mice by activating Nrf2/ARE antioxidant signaling, simultaneously reducing cardiac redox imbalance and inflammatory damage. The present findings provide a perspective on the therapy strategy for T2DM and its complications.