Sulfated polysaccharides isolated from Caulerpa racemosa and Caulerpa cupressoides (Chlorophyceaes) – extraction, fractionation and anticoagulant activity - doi: 10.4025/actascibiolsci.v32i2.5923

Abstract

The incidence of cardiovascular diseases and adverse effects from heparintherapy have led to a search for new therapeutic agents, and the sulfated polysaccharides (SP) of seaweeds have been reported as alternative sources. The aim of this work was to evaluate the anticoagulant potential of total SP (TSP) isolated and fractionated from Caulerpa racemosa and Caulerpa cupressoides (Chlorophyceaes). Initially, the TSP were extracted with papain in 0.1 M sodium acetate buffer (pH 5.0) containing 5 mM cysteine and 5 mM EDTA, followed by fractionation on ion exchange DEAE-cellulose column with NaCl gradient. The obtained fractions were analyzed by 0.5% agarose gel electrophoresis and the anticoagulant activity measured by the activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) using normal human plasma, and compared to a standard heparin curve (193 IU mg^-1). Similar chromatographic profiles of SP were shown on both species, but with distinct mobility patterns, when the SP fractions were compared by electrophoresis. SP eluted with 0.75 M of NaCl modified the APTT, whose anticoagulant activities were only 21.23 and 24.36 IU mg^-1 for C. racemosa and C. cupressoides, respectively. Therefore, anticoagulant SP isolated from chlorophyceaes showed effects inferior to heparin, and comparative studies of these molecules are also suggested as auxiliary tools in the identification of algae of the same genus.