Two bioactive phloroglucinol derivatives, dioxinodehydroeckol (DHE) and phlorofucofuroeckol A (PFF-A) were isolated from edible marine brown alga, Ecklonia stolonifera, and evaluated for effects on cell surface Fc epsilon RI expression in KU812F cells. DHE and PFF-A were found to reduce the cell surface expression, and total cellular protein and mRNA levels for the Fc epsilon RI alpha chain. Moreover, both compounds exerted inhibitory effects against the elevation of intracellular calcium concentration [Ca2+](i) and histamine release from anti-Fc epsilon RI alpha chain antibody (CRA-1)-stimulated cells. These inhibitory effects were stronger for PFF-A than for DHE. These results show that two phloroglucinol derivatives, DHE and PFF-A, may exert anti-allergic effects via the inhibition of Fc epsilon RI expression, calcium influx, and degranulation in basophils, and contributes to the pharmacological activities of marine brown alga, including E. stolonifera. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.