Biological Effects of a Sulfated-Polysaccharide Isolated from the Marine Red Algae Champia feldmannii

Abstract

Sulfated-polysaccharides are complex macromolecular constituents of the extracellular matrix of marine algae that play an important role in mechanical, osmotic and ionic regulation.1) In Biomedicine the anticoagulant and antithrombotic properties have been most widely exploited and, at least for galactans, appear to be dependent on the sulfatation content and/or position of the sulfate groups.2) A natural sulfated polymer of L-fucose (fucoidan) showed a dose-dependent inhibition of leukocyte migration in the in vivo peritonitis model, 3) and sulfated fucans isolated from brown algae showed potent in vitro and in vivo inhibition of the human complement system. 4,5) It was demonstrated that a sulfatedpolysaccharide fraction extracted from the brown algae Porphyra haitanesis presents an in vivo antioxidant property, causing an increase in the spleen and thymus size, suggestive of an immunostimulant action. 6) Additionally, sulfated galactans of the red marine algae Bryothamnion seaforthii presented antinociceptive activity in mice 7) and of the red micro algae Pophyridium sp. anti-inflammatory action inhibiting eritema formation after topical use in humans.8) However, studies of sulfated galactans role in models of inflammation in vivo are rare in the literature. Here we isolated and investigated the effects of a sulfated galactan from the red marine algae Champia feldmannii, widely encountered along the South East and North East Brazilian sea coast, in experimental models of acute inflammation, coagulation and nociception. MATERIALS AND METHODS AnimalsMale Wistar rats (150-250 g) and Swiss mice (25-35 g) were maintained with a controlled 12/12 h light/dark cycle, at a temperature of 25°C with free access to food and water. The experimental protocols used in this study were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of the State University of Ceará (UECE), Fortaleza-CE, Brazil, in accordance with international guidelines (NIH publication No. 85-23, revised 1985).Algae Champia feldmannii belongs to the order Rhodymeniales, family Lomentariaceae and was collected in the Pacheco beach of Caucaia, Ceará, Brazil. Algae were classified by Wladimir R. L. Farias, Department of Fishery Engeneering of Federal University of Ceará-Brazil.Erythrocytes Human erythrocytes were obtained from healthy donors at the Hematology Center of the Federal University of Ceará-Brazil.Drugs and Reagents Dextran sulphate, L-carrageenan, Evans blue, zymosan, morphine, cethylpiridinium chloride, sodium acetate, calcium chloride, ketamine, sulphuric acid, papain, 1-9-di-metylene blue (DMB), ethylenodiaminotetracetic acid (EDTA), indomethacin, dexamethasone, pentoxifylline, L-N-nitro-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), meclyzine and formamide, N-acetyl-N,N,N-trimethylammonium bromide, 1,3-diaminopropane, toluidine blue, agarose gel (Sigma Chemical Co., St. Louis, MO, U.S.A. or SigmaAldrich Chemie, Steinheim, Germany); absolute ethanol, sodium chloride, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and 2-mer- 907, 60.455-970, Fortaleza-Ceará-Brasil. R...

Effect of a crude sulfated polysaccharide from Halymenia floresia (Rhodophyta) on gastrointestinal smooth muscle contractility

“…Hf1s and Hf2s showed more homogeneous bands, with weak metachromasia and, Hf3s showed a poly-disperse polysaccharide with metachromasia intense. These differences in charge density of these algal molecules in were accordance with other studies (Assreuy et al, 2008;Rodrigues et al, 2009b). This suggested that the H. floresia polysaccharides occurred with distinct molecular characteristics in the algal tissue.…”

“…These studies suggested that was interesting to investigate this class of macromolecules in animal models (Mourão and Pereira, 1999;Farias et al, 2001;Zhang et al, 2003;Assreuy et al, 2008;Fonseca et al, 2008;Lins et al, 2009;Ananthi et al, 2010), as valuable tools on development of new pharmacological drugs. The anticoagulant activity of marine algae SPs has been widely reported.…”

“…Fonseca et al (2008), investigating the effects of a SP isolated from Gelidium crinale (Rhodophyta) on a venous thrombosis model, reported that it could be considered as a valuable tool for better comprehension of the physiopathology of thromboembolic diseases. A SP isolated from the red marine algae Champia feldmannii demonstrated to be an important edematogenic agent (Assreuy et al, 2008). When its in vitro and in vivo antitumor properties were evaluated, the results showed that the compound was also capable of inhibiting the development of sarcoma 180 tumor, suggesting an immunostimulant.…”

Edematogenic activity of a sulfated galactan from the red marine algaeGelidium crinale

“…In this study, the galactan isolated from the red marine alga G. crinale presented inflammatory activity in the experimental model of rat paw edema. Inflammatory effects of SP of red algae have already been demonstrated (Di Rosa et al, 1971;Damas, 1980;Pomin & Mourão, 2008;Assreuy et al, 2008Assreuy et al, , 2010Lins et al, 2009). The inflammatory effect of λ carrageenan, already demonstrated in literature, show different profile of response compared to SG-Gc.…”

“…The literature has established an association between anti-inflammatory effects of fucans (Aruffo et al, 1991;Weston & Parish, 1991;Blondin et al, 1994;Tissot et al, 2003;Medeiros et al, 2008;Siqueira et al, 2011), the main representative sugar of brown algae (Phaeophyta), and proinflammatory/immunostimulant effects of galactans, the main representative sugar of red algae (Rodophyta). In this line, the sulfated polysaccharide obtained from the red seaweed Champia feldmannii DiazPifferer (Lomentariaceae) stimulated leukocyte migration and paw edema paralleled with increase in vascular permeability in rats (Assreuy et al, 2008) and antitumor effect in mice (Lins et al, 2009). The sulfated polysaccharide of the red seaweed Solieria filiformis Farias (Solieriaceae) also induced paw edema in rats (Assreuy et al, 2010).…”