Fração polissacarídica extraída da alga vermelha Gracilaria intermedia: atividade anti-inflamatória e antinociceptiva

• Autor(a) principal: Costa, Luís Eduardo Castanheira
• Data de Publicação: 2014
• Tipo de documento: Dissertação
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Repositório Institucional da Universidade Federal do Ceará (UFC)
• Texto Completo: http://www.repositorio.ufc.br/handle/riufc/21804
• topic: Gracilariaceae; Espectroscopia; Atividade biológica; Carboidratos

Seaweeds from the Gracilaria genus are an important source of agar and sulfated polysaccharides and are commonly used in food, pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. The objective of this study was to extract, structurally characterize and evaluate the anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive effects of a sulfated plysaccharide extracted from the red alga Gracilaria intermedia. A sulfated polysaccharide fraction was extracted from the red alga Gracilaria intermedia by enzymatic digestion with papain. The sugar content and protein contamination were evaluated through colorimetric tests. The material presented high yield and purity, without any protein contamination. The sulfated polysaccharides extracted were subjected to structural characterization analysis by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and the average molecular weight of the polysaccharide fraction was determined by Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC). The polysaccharide fraction was identified as an agaran with a molecular weight of 410 kDa. Anti-inflammatory activity tests were conducted in models of paw edema induced by carrageenan, dextran, compound 48/80, serotonin, and histamine. The anti-inflammatory effect of the polysaccharide on carrageenan-induced peritonitis was also evaluated, with subsequent counting of leukocytes and neutrophils, as well as measurement of TNF-α and interleukin-1β levels. The results of the anti-inflammatory activity tests indicate that the extracted polysaccharide exhibits high anti-inflammatory activity and this activity is related to inhibition of inflammatory mediators. The antinociceptive activity was evaluated using models of writhing induced by acetic acid, formalin test and hot plate. The antinociceptive tests showed that the extracted polysaccharide had analgesic activity in the writhing test induced by acetic acid and in the formalin test but showed no significant reduction in the hot plate test, suggesting an action mechanism in the peripheral system. The sulfated polysaccharides derived from seaweed Gracilaria intermedia show potential for future use as an anti-inflammatory compound.