title: Antiviral effects of sulfated exopolysaccharide from the marine microalga Gyrodinium impudicum strain KG03.
abstract: The sulfated exopolysaccharide p-KG03, which is produced by the marine microalga Gyrodinium impudicum strain KG03, exhibited impressive antiviral activity in vitro (EC50 = 26.9 micro g/ml) against the encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV). Depending on the p-KG03 concentration, the development of cytopathic effects in EMCV-infected HeLa cells was either inhibited completely or slowed. Moreover, p-KG03 did not show any cytotoxic effects on HeLa cells, even at concentrations up to 1000 microg/ml. The polysaccharide was purified by repeated precipitation in ethanol, followed by gel filtration. The p-KG03 polysaccharide had a molecular weight of 1.87 x 10(7), and was characterized as a homopolysaccharide of galactose with uronic acid (2.96% wt/wt) and sulfate groups (10.32% wt/wt). The biological activities of p-KG03 suggest that sulfated metabolites from marine organisms are a rich source of antiviral agents. This is the first reported marine source of antiviral sulfated polysaccharides against EMCV. The p-KG03 polysaccharide may be useful in the development of marine bioactive exopolysaccharide for biotechnological and pharmaceutical products.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003588:Cytopathogenic Effect, Viral; D004141:Dinoflagellida / Q000737:chemistry*; D004686:Encephalomyocarditis virus / Q000187:drug effects*; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012623:Seawater; D013055:Spectrophotometry, Infrared; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D011134:Polysaccharides