title: Heterofucans from the brown seaweed Canistrocarpus cervicornis with anticoagulant and antioxidant activities.
abstract: Fucan is a term used to denominate a family of sulfated polysaccharides rich in sulfated l-fucose. We extracted six fucans from Canistrocarpus cervicornis by proteolytic digestion followed by sequential acetone precipitation. These heterofucans are composed mainly of fucose, glucuronic acid, galactose and sulfate. No polysaccharide was capable of prolonging prothrombin time (PT) at the concentration assayed. However, all polysaccharides prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT). Four sulfated polysaccharides (CC-0.3/CC-0.5/CC-0.7/CC-1.0) doubled aPTT with only 0.1 mg/mL of plasma, only 1.25-fold less than Clexane, a commercial low molecular weight heparin. Heterofucans exhibited total antioxidant capacity, low hydroxyl radical scavenging activity, good superoxide radical scavenging efficiency (except CC-1.0), and excellent ferrous chelating ability (except CC-0.3). These results clearly indicate the beneficial effect of C. cervicornis polysaccharides as anticoagulants and antioxidants. Further purification steps and additional studies on structural features as well as in vivo experiments are needed to test the viability of their use as therapeutic agents.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biotechnology of Natural Polymers, Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal-RN, Brazil. rafael_bgc@yahoo.com.br
authors.forename: Rafael Barros Gomes
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Camara
authors.forename: Leandro Silva
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Gabriel Pereira
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Fidelis
authors.forename: Leonardo Thiago Duarte Barreto
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Nobre
authors.forename: Nednaldo
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dantas-Santos
authors.forename: Sara Lima
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Cordeiro
authors.forename: Mariana Santana Santos Pereira
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Luciana Guimaraes
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.forename: Hugo Alexandre Oliveira
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Rocha
mesh_terms: D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D055808:Drug Discovery; D017984:Enoxaparin / Q000494:pharmacology; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D005643:Fucose / Q000032:analysis; D005690:Galactose / Q000032:analysis; D020723:Glucuronic Acid / Q000032:analysis; D006495:Heparin, Low-Molecular-Weight / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007502:Iron Chelating Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D010314:Partial Thromboplastin Time; D000459:Phaeophyceae / Q000737:chemistry; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012624:Seaweed / Q000737:chemistry*; D013431:Sulfates / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants; D000975:Antioxidants; D017984:Enoxaparin; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D006495:Heparin, Low-Molecular-Weight; D007502:Iron Chelating Agents; D011134:Polysaccharides; D013431:Sulfates; D005643:Fucose; D020723:Glucuronic Acid; D005690:Galactose