The common food additive carrageenan is a known activator of inflammation in mammalian tissues and stimulates both the canonical and noncanonical pathways of NF-κB activation. Exposure to low concentrations of carrageenan (10 μ g/mL in the water supply) has produced glucose intolerance, insulin resistance, and impaired insulin signaling in C57BL/6 mice. B-cell leukemia/lymphoma 10 (Bcl10) is a ...

As the general secretary of Marinalg International, an association representing the worldwide producers of carrageenan, I would like to comment on Tobacman’s review article in EHP (1). Authorities worldwide have extensively reviewed carrageenan safety. Contrary to Tobacman’s conclusion (1), all of these authorities agree that carrageenan may be used safely in food. As recently as June 2001, the...

The 2009 influenza A H1N1 pandemic placed unprecedented demands on antiviral drug resources and the vaccine industry. Carrageenan, an extractive of red algae, has been proven to inhibit infection and multiplication of various enveloped viruses. The aim of this study was to examine the ability of κ-carrageenan to inhibit swine pandemic 2009 H1N1 influenza virus to gain an understanding of antivi...

Lemnalol (8-isopropyl-5-methyl-4-methylene-decahydro-1,5-cyclo-naphthalen-3-ol) is a natural compound isolated from the marine soft coral Lemnalia cervicorni. In the present study, the anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive properties of lemnalol were investigated in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells and carrageenan-injected rats, respectively. Our results demonstrate that lem...

Experimental pneumonia induced by intratracheal application of carrageenan or paraquat increases the functional residual lung capacity (FRC) in rats. The mechanism of this increase is not clear, but a decrease in PO(2) may be involved. To test this possibility, we attempted to eliminate the PO(2) decrease in carrageenan-treated rats by exposing them to hyperoxia. Animals of the first group were...

AIM To test antinociceptive properties of botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A) in rats with carrageenan- and capsaicin-induced pain and inflammation. METHODS Pain was provoked with carrageenan (1%) or capsaicin (0.1%) injection into the plantar surface of the rat paw-pad. The effect of BTX-A 5 U/kg on carrageenan- and capsaicin-induced mechanical and thermal hypersensitivity, as well as the size of...

There is no confusion regarding the safety of carrageenan. Carrageenan is a safe and natural fiber extracted from seaweed [1]. It is an indigestible polysaccharide that is commonly used in foods as a natural thickening, gelling, and stabilizing agent. It is used as a gelling agent in our vegetarian softgels and On Guard Toothpaste. Carrageenan-containing softgel capsules are the only stable veg...

Aim: In this study, oxidative stress, antioxidant response and inflammation parameters were investigated in intact and carrageenan-inflamed paw tissues in intact and adrenalectomized rats. The effects of prednisolone and adrenaline on these parameters were investigated. Materials and Methods: 37 Albino Wistar male rats were divided into six groups as follows: I: only adrenalectomized, II: adren...

PURPOSE To evaluate the inhibitory effect of lambda-carrageenan type IV on feline herpesvirus (FHV)-1 in an in vitro model and in experimentally induced conjunctivitis in vaccinated cats. METHODS Standard plaque reduction assay, virus titration, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) were used to assess the effect of carrageenan on FHV-1 in vitro. Eighteen adult specific pathogen-f...

BACKGROUND Clinical trials applying iota-carrageenan nasal spray have previously shown to reduce duration of virus-confirmed common cold. The present study pooled data of two similar clinical trials to provide further evidence for the antiviral effectiveness of carrageenan. METHODS Individual patient data were analyzed from two randomized double blind placebo controlled trials assessing the t...