Human sperm motility stimulating activity of a sulfono glycolipid isolated from Sri Lankan marine red alga Gelidiella acerosa.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the sperm motility stimulating activity of a sulfono glycolipid (S-ACT-1) isolated from Gelidiella acerosa, a Sri Lankan marine red algae.


METHODS
S-ACT-1, a white amorphous powder was separated from more polar fractions of the hexane soluble of 1:1 CH2Cl2/MeOH extract and subjected to 1H, 13C NMR and IR Spectroscopy after reverse phase HPLC for identification. Effects of S-ACT-1 on human sperm motility was assessed in vitro at 10, 100 and 1,000 microg/mL concentrations at 37 degrees C for 0, 5, 15, 30 and 60 min.


RESULTS
S-ACT-1 was identified as a glycolipid sulfate. The lower dose increased the sperm motility slightly, whilst the medium dose significantly increased the motility (P < 0.05) from 5 min of incubation reaching a peak at 15 min and the stimulant effect was sustained throughout the experimental period. Furthermore, the medium dose rendered 80% of the immotile viable sperm motile. In contrast, the highest dose impaired the sperm motility. The sperm stimulating activity of S-ACT-1 was dose-dependent and had a bell-shaped dose response curve for all the 5 incubation periods.


CONCLUSIONS
S-ACT-1 of Gelidiella acerosa is a Sulfono glycolipid. S-ACT-1 has a potent sperm motility stimulating activity in vitro and has the potential to be developed into a sperm stimulant.
Natural Products Development Group, Industrial Technology Institute (CISIR), Colombo, Sri Lanka.
G A
GA
Premakumara
W D
WD
Ratnasooriya
L M
LM
Tillekeratne
A S
AS
Amarasekare
Atta-Ur-Rahman
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006017:Glycolipids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D000461:Rhodophyta / Q000737:chemistry*; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000187:drug effects*; D013188:Sri Lanka
D006017:Glycolipids