Abstract
Proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans were isolated from African night crawler (Eudrilus eugeniae Kinberg) and partially characterized proteoglycans (3.04 % of lyophilized worm) were liberated from the defatted and depurinated worm samples by dissociative method using 4M urea in acetate buffer. Glycosaminoglycans (12.47% of proteoglycan extract) were extracted using enzymatic hydrolysis of the proteoglycan extract with papain. Gel filtration chromatography using Sepharose CL-4B was used to purify and estimate the molecular weights of the proteoglycan and glycosaminoglycan fractions. Three proteoglycan fractions PGF1, PGF2 and PGF3 with estimated molecular weigths 860 kDa, 181 kDa and 3 kDa, respectively were identified as monitored by the Bradford and modified carbazole assay. Two glycosaminoglycan fractions - GF1 (MW = 860 kDa) and GF2 (MW=140 kDa) were identified using the modified carbazole assay. Infrared spectroscopy of the GF1 and GF2 showed the possible identities of the fractions. GF1 may be a hyaluronic acid and GF2 is possibly chondroitin. Anti-coagulant assay for the extracts and fractions revealed that the glycosaminoglycan isolate has anti-coagulant activity but not the GF1 and GF2 fractions individually.
Highlights
Anticoagulants like heparin are important therapuetic agents used in treatments of thrombosis and prophylaxis (Mourao et al, 1996)
The proteoglycans extracted from the African night crawler (Eudrilus eugeniae) were around 3.04% of the weight of the lyophilized sample
Red-colored complex was formed which was indicative of the presence of hexauronic acid residues
Summary
Anticoagulants like heparin are important therapuetic agents used in treatments of thrombosis and prophylaxis (Mourao et al, 1996). These agents are tapped nowadays to reduce occurence of stroke in patients by preventing blood clot formation in blood vessels that might block these channels and lead to stroke. According to Kottkamp and colleauges in 1998, there is a 70% stroke risk reduction of patients taking oral anticoagulants. Proteoglycans are macromolecules composed of a core protein covalently linked to glycosaminoglycan (GAG) chain. These molecules are usually found in cellular surface and extracellular
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