Molecular mechanisms of anti-cancer bioactivities of seaweed polysaccharides

Seaweed is a traditional Chinese medicine homologous to food, in which polysaccharides are responsible for anti-cancer by enhancing immunity, inducing cancer cell apoptosis, inhibiting cancer cell invasion and metastasis or directly scavenging oxidative free radicals that induce cancer cell changes. Among them, regulating immunity and promoting cancer cell apoptosis are intensively studied due to the important role in preventing cancer. Here we reviewed seaweed in the apoptosis-inducing signaling pathways including PI3K/AKT, ROS and JNK and discussed challenges in studying seaweed.