Fucoidan by dr Colliec-Jouault, researcher with Ifremer  My name is Sylvia Colliec-Jouault, I am a researcher with IFREMER. IFREMER is the only French research organisation that is dedicated totally to marine research. IFREMER's goals are exploration, knowledge and exploitation of the marine world. The Laboratoire de Biotechnologie et Molécules Marines (Laboratory for biotechnology and marine molecules) exploits marine biodiversity to develop innovative molecules for the health and cosmetic fields. Our laboratory has been studying fucoidan for more than 20 years. It was one of the first laboratories to develop extraction and purification procedures with the aim of obtaining high quality fucoidan. Equally, it was one of the first to determine fucoidan’s mechanism of action within the blood coagulation system. In the last ten years, interest shown by the scientific world in fucoidan has accelerated. Currently several research teams, based throughout the world but mainly in the United States and Japan, are studying the biological properties of this molecule. The benefits of fucoidan in fields as diverse as cancer research, immunology, cardiology and tissue engineering have been demonstrated. More recently, our laboratory has studied, in partnership, the effects of fucoidan, prepared using our own procedure, on tissue engineering. Fucoidan is present is small quantities in the cell wall of brown algae. It is a sulphated fucose polymer. The presence of fucose units gives fucoidan its protective, immunostimulant effect, allowing the skin to defend itself against exterior attacks and to protect itself against the harmful effects of free radicals. IMMUNOSTIMULANT AND ANTIOXIDANT The sulphate groups carried by the fucose unit permit fucoidan to interact specifically with skin growth factors. The growth factors control the formation and care of the skin by modulating cellular activity and favouring circulation. Sulphate groups are directly implicated in the dynamic equilibrium of the skin and thus play a role in cutaneous homeostasis. REGENERATIVE AND NOURISHING The presence of hydroxyl groups permits the polymer to trap water molecules and is thus the origin of the hygroscopic nature of fucoidan which gives it its hydrating properties. HYDRATING Fucoidan supports tissue regeneration by controlling cellular activity, it stimulates the proliferation of skin fibroblasts and the synthesis of collagen. Fucoidan has a regulating effect, it is an immunomodulator, it limits destructive effects by inhibiting proteolysis and consequently, degradation of the elastic fibres and the components of the extracellular matrix. Fucoidan has an antioxidant effect by neutralising the effect of free radials. To summarise, fucoidan is an innovative marine agent, which corrects the majority of the clinical signs of aging. Fucoidan supports cutaneous homeostasis by maintaining an equilibrium between synthesis and degradation. Fucoidan will probably revolutionise the field of dermo-cosmetics because it MODULATES, REGULATES, STIMULATES and STRUCTURES. It is for all these reasons that Laboratoires Robert Schwartz (Robert Schwartz Laboratories), has chosen this innovative agent to create the new prestige marine line Belle de France for KGC.