article · Marine Drugs
Crude polysaccharide extracted from the green marine seaweed Halimeda tuna exhibits notable anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, anti-haemolytic, and anti-oxidant characteristics across experimental and computational tests. In laboratory assays, the extract effectively scavenges free radicals, inhibits nitric oxide, and preserves erythrocyte membrane integrity to prevent haemolysis. In animal trials using a rat paw model, the polysaccharide significantly reduced swelling, lowered key markers of protein and lipid oxidation, and boosted the activity of vital protective enzymes such as superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase. Furthermore, in cell experiments, the compound supported macrophage viability and lowered pro-inflammatory molecules, including nitric oxide, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, and tumour necrosis factor-alpha. Computational analyses indicate that components of the polysaccharide bind favourably to inflammatory targets including cyclooxygenase-2 and tumour necrosis factor-alpha, supporting its prospective therapeutic value.
Inflammatory conditions and oxidative stress contribute to numerous chronic health disorders. Identifying naturally derived compounds that can safely regulate immune reactions and neutralise cellular damage offers alternative therapeutic pathways. This research establishes that seaweed-derived polysaccharides possess multiple protective mechanisms, providing biological evidence that marine resources can act as candidates for addressing inflammation, tissue swelling, and oxidative injury.
The findings indicate potential applications in developing natural anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and immunomodulatory agents for pharmaceutical or nutraceutical development. Potential users include biomedical researchers and drug discovery teams focusing on inflammatory conditions. However, the work represents early-stage research, having only been demonstrated in cell cultures, computational models, and a rat paw model. Substantial further preclinical testing, formulation development, and clinical evaluation will be needed before practical application.
AI-generated from the published abstract. Always read the original work before citing.
In this study, we investigated for the first time the anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties of crude polysaccharide (PSHT) extracted from green marine algae Halimeda tuna. PSHT exhibited anti-oxidant activity in vitro through scavenging 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydroxyl free radical, reducing Fe3+/ferricyanide complex, and inhibiting nitric oxide. PSHT maintained the erythrocyte membrane integrity and prevented hemolysis. Our results also showed that PSHT exerted a significant anti-edematic effect in vivo by decreasing advanced oxidation protein products and malondialdehyde levels and increasing the superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities in rat’s paw model and erythrocytes. Interestingly, PSHT increased the viability of murine RAW264.7 macrophages and exerted an anti-inflammatory effect on lipopolysaccharide-stimulated cells by decreasing pro-inflammatory molecule levels, including nitric oxide, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α). Our findings indicate that PSHT could be used as a potential immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, anti-hemolytic, and anti-oxidant agent. These results could be explained by the computational findings showing that polysaccharide building blocks bound both cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and TNF-α with acceptable affinities.
This page summarises published work. The authoritative version sits with the publisher.
DOI: 10.3390/md22020085
Is something wrong with this record? Report it or request removal.
Discussion
Have you built on this work, tried to replicate it, or seen it applied in practice? Share what you know. Verified researchers and MARATTO™ domain experts can open a discussion, and any member can reply. Contributions are reviewed before they appear.
No discussion yet. Open the first thread.
New to MARATTO™? Create a free account.
