Isolation of Anticoagulant Fractions from Crude Fucoidin

A method of preparation, some physical and chemical properties and anticoagulant activities of fucoidin fractions from Fucus vesiculosus have been described. Certain fractions prepared from crude fucoidin proved to have potent anticoagulant effects. The nature of the anticoagulant action and the chemical composition place fucoidin in the group of heparinoids. The most active preparations contained no demonstrable carbohydrate other than fucose and a component which migrated on paper chromatograms faster than fucose and rhamnose but slower than 2-0-methylfucose. This component gave all color reactions of the methyl-pentoses.