title: Isolation, chemical investigation and antiviral activity of polysaccharides from Gracilaria corticata (Gracilariaceae, Rhodophyta).
abstract: Polysaccharides were sequentially extracted from the agarophyte Gracilaria corticata. Chemical analysis combined with infrared spectroscopy showed that the cold water extracted material consists mainly of a high molecular weight sulfated galactan. Most of the sulfate groups are alkali labile and are located at C-4 of the 1,3-linked D-galactose units and C-6 of the 1,4-linked L-galactose residues. The autoclaved extracts contain agar type polysaccharide having a high pyruvate content and a variable degree of methylation, but were contaminated with floridean starch. 1H-NMR studies indicate that methoxyl groups, when present, occur at C-6 of the 1,3-linked D-galactose units and C-2 of the 1,4-linked L-galactose residues of agar polymer. Bioassays showed that a high molecular weight galactan sulfate, exhibited selective antiviral activity against herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2, likely due to an inhibition of the initial virus attachment to the host cell.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, The University of Burdwan, 713 104, WB, Burdwan, India.
authors.forename: Sutapa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mazumder
authors.forename: Prodyut K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Ghosal
authors.forename: Carlos A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Pujol
authors.forename: María J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Carlucci
authors.forename: Elsa B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Damonte
authors.forename: Bimalendu
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ray
mesh_terms: D000362:Agar / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001681:Biological Assay; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005685:Galactans / Q000737:chemistry; D020128:Inhibitory Concentration 50; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000737:chemistry*; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000378:metabolism; D013055:Spectrophotometry, Infrared; D013213:Starch / Q000737:chemistry; D013431:Sulfates / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D014709:Vero Cells
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D005685:Galactans; D011134:Polysaccharides; D013431:Sulfates; D000362:Agar; D013213:Starch