Abstract

The marine brown algae: Sargassum tenerrimum, Sargassum wightii, Turbinaria conoides, Turbinaria ornata and Padina tetrastromatica were collected from Mandapam Island, India. The crude sulphated polysaccharides (SPS) were extracted using hot water and examined for anticoagulation activity. The sugar, sulphate and protein in crude SPS were analyzed. The presence of sulphated polysaccharide was confirmed by agarose gel electrophoresis and further characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The FTIR analysis of crude SPS showed characteristic band of polysaccharides at 900, 1740 cm^-1 and ester sulphate at 1250 to 1260 cm^-1. Moreover, the absorbance band at 820 cm^-1 for S. tenerrimum, S. wightii, T. conoides and T. ornata denotes sulphation at equatorial position, but in the case of P. tetrastromatica, sulphation at axial position is denoted by absorbance band at 850 cm^-1. The heparin like activity of crude SPS was determined by metachromatic assay. The anticoagulant activity of crude SPS was evaluated by activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) and prothrombin time (PT) assays. The metachromatic, APTT and heparinoid activities of crude SPS from S. tenerrimum, S. wightii, T. conoides, T. ornata and P. tetrastromatica were in the range of 0.045 to 0.0347, 134 to 89 s and 25.47 to 14.5 USP units/mg, respectively. The prolongation of prothrombin time by crude SPS was not found.

Key words: Brown algae, sulphated polysaccharides, Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR), agarose gel, metachromatic activity, activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), heparin.

Abbreviation

APTT, Activated partial thromboplastin time; PT, prothrombin time;FTIR, Fourier transform infrared spectrometer.