Consumption of carrageenan and other water-soluble polymers used as food additives and incidence of mammary carcinoma

doi:10.1054/mehy.2000.1208

Medical Hypotheses

Volume 56, Issue 5, May 2001, Pages 589-598

https://doi.org/10.1054/mehy.2000.1208 Get rights and content

Abstract

This study examined the hypothesis that the increasing incidence of mammary carcinoma in the USA in the twentieth century may be related to the consumption of carrageenan and possibly other water-soluble polymers. Widely used as food additives in the Western diet, the water-soluble polymers, also known as gums, are generally regarded as inert. However, the gum carrageenan which is comprised of linked, sulfated galactose residues has potent biological activity and undergoes acid hydrolysis to poligeenan, an acknowledged carcinogen. A time-trend analysis using age-adjusted incidence data and consumption data from established sources tested the hypothesis that increased consumption of the gums may be associated with increased incidence of mammary carcinoma. Correlations were determined using Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficients, incorporating lag intervals of 10 to 35 years. This analysis demonstrated that increasing consumption of several gums correlates positively with increased incidence of breast carcinoma.

References (57)

C. Byrne et al.
A comparison of food habit and food frequency data as predictors of breast cancer in the NHANES I/NHEFS cohort
J Nutr
(1996)
W.C. Willett
Specific fatty acids and risks of breast and prostate cancer: dietary intake
Am J Clin Nutr
(1997)
Y. Oohashi et al.
A study on carcinogenesis induced by degraded carrageenan arising from squamous metaplasia of the rat colorectum
Cancer Lett
(1981)
R.I. Melnick et al.
Chronic effects of agar, guar gum, gum arabic, locust-bean gum, or tara gum in F344 rats and B6C3F1 mice
Food Chem Toxicol
(1983)
L-G. Ekstrom
Molecular weight distribution and the behaviour of kappa–carrageenan on hydrolysis
Carbohydr Res
(1985)
L-G. Ekstrom et al.
Molecular weight distribution and hydrolysis behaviour of carrageenans
Carbohydr Res
(1983)
N. Dyrset et al.
Development of a fermentation process for production of a kappa-carrageenase from Pseudomonas carrageenovora
Enzyme and Microbial Tech
(1997)
O.S. Muir et al.
International Patterns of Cancer
Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention.
(1996)
L.A. Gloeckler Ries et al.
Cancer Incidence, Mortality and Patient Survival in the United States
eds. Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention. 2nd Edition
(1996)
M.P. Coleman et al.
Trends in Cancer Incidence and Mortality
(1993)

S.S. Devesa et al.

Recent cancer trends in the United States

J Natl Cancer Inst

(1995)

D.B. Thomas et al.

Cancer in first and second generation Americans

Cancer Res

(1987)

P. Buell

Changing incidence of breast cancer in Japanese-American women

J Natl Cancer Inst

(1973)

H. Shimizu et al.

Cancers of the prostate and breast among Japanese and white immigrants in LA County

Br J Cancer

(1991)

M.D. Holmes et al.

Association of dietary intake of fat and fatty acids with risk of breast cancer

JAMA

(1999)

M. Gaard et al.

Risk of breast cancer in relation to blood lipids: a prospective study of 31,209 Norwegian women

Cancer Causes Control

(1994)

C. Mettlin

Diet and the epidemiology of human breast cancer

Cancer

(1984)

D.J. Hunter et al.

Cohort studies of fat intake and the risk of breast cancer – a pooled analysis

N Engl J Med

(1996)

B. Armstrong et al.

Environmental factors and cancer incidence and mortality in different countries with special reference to dietary practices

Int J Cancer

(1975)

A. Favero et al.

Sources of macro- and micronutrients in Italian women: results from a food frequency questionnaire for cancer studies

Eur J Cancer Prevention

(1997)

¡

(1983)

S.N. Marcus et al.

The pre-ulcerative phase of carrageenan-induced colonic ulceration in the guinea pig

Int J Exp Pathol

(1992)

D.K. Wilcox et al.

Colonic epithelial cell proliferation in a rat model of nongenotoxin-induced colonic neoplasia

Lab Invest

(1992)

S. Nicklin et al.

Intestinal uptake and immunological effects of carrageenan: current concepts

Food Addit Contam

(1989)

A.W. Thomson et al.

Carrageenan: a review of its effect on the immune system

Agents Actions

(1981)

F.R. Cochran et al.

Macrophage-mediated suppression of T-lymphocyte proliferation induced by oral carrageenan administration

Immunology

(1984)

T. Ishioka et al.

Induction of colorectal tumors in rats by sulfated polysaccharides

CRC Crit Rev Toxicol

(1987)

K. Wattanabe et al.

Effect of dietary undegraded carrageenan on colon carcinogenesis in F344 rats treated with azoxymethane or methylnitrosourea

Cancer Res

(1978)

Cited by (39)

Biological activity of algal derived carrageenan: A comprehensive review in light of human health and disease
2023, International Journal of Biological Macromolecules
Carrageenans are a family of natural linear sulfated polysaccharides derived from red seaweeds and used as a common food additive. Carrageenan's properties, impact on health, and aesthetic benefits have all been studied for a long time; however, the mechanisms are still unclear. In pharmaceutical aspects, carrageenan displayed potential antioxidant and immunomodulatory properties in both in vivo and in vitro action. It also contributes to potential disease-preventive activities through dynamic modulation of important intracellular signaling pathways, regulation of ROS buildup, and preservation of major cell survival and death processes which leads to potential drug development. Furthermore, the chemical synthesis of the current bioactive medicine with confirmational rearrangement may increase availability and bioactivity needs diligent examination. In this review, we give an up-to-date overview of recent research on Carrageenan with reference to health and therapeutic advantages. In addition, we have focused on structural conformation and its primary strategic deployment in disease prevention, as well as the mechanistic investigation of how it functions to combat various disease-preventive employed for future therapeutic interventions. This review may get new insights into the possible novel role of carrageenan and open up a novel disease-preventive mechanism and enhance human health.
Rheological elucidation of the viscoelastic properties and network interaction of mixed high-methoxyl pectin and kappa-carrageenan gels
2022, Food Hydrocolloids
Citation Excerpt :
Two of the most widely used biopolymers as gelling agents, texturizers, and stabilizers in food are pectin and carrageenan (Jensen, Rolin, & Ipsen, 2010; Therkelsen, 1993; Tobacman, Wallace, & Zimmerman, 2001).
The interaction between two anionic polysaccharides known for their gelation capability was investigated. Mixtures of high-methoxyl pectin (HMP) and κ-carrageenan (KC) were prepared at different volume fractions. The sample's complex rheological properties and microstructures were investigated by performing linear small amplitude oscillatory shear (SAOS) and nonlinear large amplitude oscillatory shear (LAOS). Pure KC and the HMP/KC mixtures exhibited gel-like properties, whereas pure HMP did not gel at the experimental conditions employed and was characterized as a viscoelastic liquid. Temperature-dependent rheological behavior of HMP/KC mixtures suggested the independent aggregation of KC chains. The viscoelastic properties of the HMP/KC mixtures, such as oscillatory spectrum, and material stiffness, followed that of pure KC, indicating that KC strongly influenced the final gel. The transient behavior of the HMP/KC mixtures in the time sweep and the monotonic decrease of the storage modulus in the linear regime, and the onset of nonlinear rheological behavior in the strain sweep measurements suggested the possibility of the phase-separated network structure of in HMP-rich and KC-rich phases in the mixtures. Based on the rheological data both in the linear and nonlinear regimes, we propose the possibility of a bicontinuous network structure in HMP/KC mixtures, composed of the weak HMP phase in random coil configuration and the dominant KC phase in double helix aggregates.
Clean label: Why this ingredient but not that one?
2021, Food Quality and Preference
Citation Excerpt :
The four identified ingredient categories of interest were sugars, stabilizers/thickening agents, preservatives, and coloring agents. These categories are of importance to clean label yogurt reformulations and well represent broader food industry-wise efforts to remove specific ingredients in the categories [e.g., carrageenan (stabilizer), sodium benzoate (preservative), and Red 40 (coloring agent)] (Charles, 2006; Trotter, 2016; Watson, 2016) due to their potential health concerns (Bateman et al., 2004; McCann et al., 2007; Tobacman & Walters, 2001; Tobacman, 1997, 2001; Tobacman, Wallace, & Zimmerman, 2001). Sugars were included as they are directly related to health, and accordingly they are of a great topic of ongoing discussion.
Consumer demand for natural and clean label foods continues to grow. This study aims to measure consumers’ perceived naturalness of food ingredients and further to investigate factors affecting their acceptability. Yogurt was chosen as the focal food of interest. A total of 20 common yogurt ingredients within the categories of sugars, stabilizers/thickening agents, preservatives, and coloring agents were selected. An online survey was administered to 526 yogurt consumers in the United States to evaluate the degrees of naturalness, familiarity, and acceptability of the selected ingredients. The degrees of acceptability were rated again when information regarding the functionalities and sources was given. Socio-demographic information was also collected. Results showed that the perceived naturalness of the coloring agents and preservatives varied substantially within each category. In contrast, the selected sugars were perceived as more natural, while stabilizers/thickening agents were perceived as less natural. These findings suggest that food manufacturers may focus on stabilizers/thickening agents in clean label reformulations. Results also showed that providing information regarding ingredient source, but not functionality, improved acceptability for some ingredients. This finding carries implications in that food manufacturers may consider including source information on their ingredient lists, and that regulatory agencies may need to set further guidelines for providing information on food labels. Additionally, some socio-demographic factors, such as consumers’ age and their knowledge on food ingredients, seem to be linked to the perceived naturalness and acceptability of ingredients. Understanding the link between socio-demographic characteristics and the acceptability of specific ingredients may help food manufacturers to market their products to specific demographic groups.
Isolation, Structural characterization, and antiproliferative activity of phycocolloids from the red seaweed Laurencia papillosa on MCF-7 human breast cancer cells
2018, International Journal of Biological Macromolecules
Citation Excerpt :
Depending on their sulfation degree, solubility and gelling properties, three types of carrageenan have been recognized as kappa, iota, and lambda carrageenans [10,16]. Despite carrageenan were reported to have benefits against some diseases, increasing health concern raised of this kind of SP especially that it is used widely as food additives [17,18]. Studies performed on animals have linked ulcerations in the gastro-intestinal tract, gastro-intestinal cancer and mammary carcinoma to the high consuming of this compound [19,20].
Hydrocolloids from seaweeds (phycocolloids) have interesting functional properties like antiproliferative activity. Marine algae consumptions are linked to law cancer incidences in countries that traditionally consume marine products. In this study, we have investigated water-soluble sulfated polysaccharides isolated from the red seaweed Laurencia papillosa and determined their chemical characteristics and biological activities on the human breast cancer cell line MCF-7. Total polysaccharides were extracted and fractionated from L. papillosa and characterized using FTIR-ATR and NMR spectrometry. In addition, their approximate molar mass was determined by GPC method. The chemical characterization of purified polysaccharides reveals the presence of sulfated polysaccharides differentially dispersed in the algal cell wall. They are the three types of carrageenan, kappa, iota and lambda carrageenans, named LP-W1, −W2 and −W3 respectively. Biological effects and cytotoxicity of the identified of the three sulfated polysaccharide fractions were evaluated in MCF-7 cell line. Our results showed a significant inhibition of MCF-7 cell viability by dose-dependent manner for cells exposed to LP-W2 and LP-W3 polysaccharides for 24 h. The mechanistic of LP fractions-mediated apoptosis in MCF-7 cells was demonstrated. The biological effects of L. papillosa SPs indicate that it may be a promising candidate for breast cancer prevention and therapy.
Hydrolysis of Biopolymers in Near-Critical and Subcritical Water
2017, Water Extraction of Bioactive Compounds: From Plants to Drug Development
Near-critical and subcritical waters have been known as green solvents that can be applied in many different fields of applications. In recent years, they have been proposed as solvents media to recover waste substances from plant biomass. Near-critical and subcritical water treatment is a powerful technique and one of the most effective methods for this, because water at around its critical point behaves as a reaction medium with unique properties. Water at around its critical point was able to promote various reactions such as oxidation, hydrolysis, and dehydration. Hence, near-critical and subcritical water can be used for the conversion of plant biomass composed of three major biopolymers (i.e., cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin) to value-added chemical compounds, as well as for oxidizing hazardous waste into CO₂ or harmless compounds. This chapter presents the concepts of near-critical and subcritical water and their application in degradation of plant biomass components at temperatures of 100–400°C.
Toxic and Harmful Seaweeds
2016, Seaweed in Health and Disease Prevention
Considering the large quantity and number of species of seaweeds humans consume, and that seaweed consumption is an ancient practice, it is surprising how few cases there have been of seaweeds causing harmful effects to humans. In total, there have been only 14 deaths and 73 illnesses attributed to the consumption of seaweeds. Furthermore, in most of the reports of deaths caused by seaweed consumption, the source of the toxin is questionable and may not have been the seaweed but epiphytic cyanobacteria contaminants. In addition, all of the reports of seaweeds causing serious illness and death involve just a small number of seaweeds, in particular Gracilaria, Acanthophora, and Caulerpa. There are no reports of poisonings caused by the most widely consumed and commercially valuable seaweeds such as Porphyra (nori), Laminaria (kombu), and Undaria (wakame). The goal of this chapter is to review what is known about the harmful effects of seaweeds and seaweed products on humans, as well as any harmful effects seaweeds can have on their own ecosystems. Studies are included of both constitutive compounds being the causative agent, as well as studies of toxic elements and organic compounds that are taken up and concentrated by seaweeds, such as arsenic and polychlorinated biphenyls.

View all citing articles on Scopus

View full text

Regular ArticleConsumption of carrageenan and other water-soluble polymers used as food additives and incidence of mammary carcinoma

Abstract

J Nutr

Am J Clin Nutr

Cancer Lett

Food Chem Toxicol

Carbohydr Res

Carbohydr Res

Enzyme and Microbial Tech

International Patterns of Cancer

Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention.

Cancer Incidence, Mortality and Patient Survival in the United States

eds. Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention. 2nd Edition

Trends in Cancer Incidence and Mortality

Recent cancer trends in the United States

J Natl Cancer Inst

Cancer in first and second generation Americans

Cancer Res

Changing incidence of breast cancer in Japanese-American women

J Natl Cancer Inst

Cancers of the prostate and breast among Japanese and white immigrants in LA County

Br J Cancer

Association of dietary intake of fat and fatty acids with risk of breast cancer

JAMA

Risk of breast cancer in relation to blood lipids: a prospective study of 31,209 Norwegian women

Cancer Causes Control

Diet and the epidemiology of human breast cancer

Cancer

Cohort studies of fat intake and the risk of breast cancer – a pooled analysis

N Engl J Med

Environmental factors and cancer incidence and mortality in different countries with special reference to dietary practices

Int J Cancer

Sources of macro- and micronutrients in Italian women: results from a food frequency questionnaire for cancer studies

Eur J Cancer Prevention

¡

The pre-ulcerative phase of carrageenan-induced colonic ulceration in the guinea pig

Int J Exp Pathol

Colonic epithelial cell proliferation in a rat model of nongenotoxin-induced colonic neoplasia

Lab Invest

Intestinal uptake and immunological effects of carrageenan: current concepts

Food Addit Contam

Carrageenan: a review of its effect on the immune system

Agents Actions

Macrophage-mediated suppression of T-lymphocyte proliferation induced by oral carrageenan administration

Immunology

Induction of colorectal tumors in rats by sulfated polysaccharides

CRC Crit Rev Toxicol

Effect of dietary undegraded carrageenan on colon carcinogenesis in F344 rats treated with azoxymethane or methylnitrosourea

Cancer Res

Regular Article
Consumption of carrageenan and other water-soluble polymers used as food additives and incidence of mammary carcinoma