Abstract
Seaweeds have bioactive compounds of interest in the pharmaceutical industry. In India, seaweeds are used exclusively for phycocolloids production and have not yet received consideration as a dietary supplement. So, it has become imperative to explore the biomedical potential of seaweeds and promote their utilization as a functional food. The seaweeds Turbinaria ornata, Gracillaria crassa and Laurencia papillosa, collected from the Tuticorin coast of the Southeast coast of India and selected based on preliminary screening, were extracted with acetone and evaluated for antiulcer, wound healing and hepatoprotective activities. L. papillosa showed the highest level of gastric protection activity (81%) at 200 mg/kg, comparable to the standard drug ranitidine (90%). G. crassa followed with 76%. G. crassa and L. papillosa, showed marked wound-healing activity. G. crassa at 200 mg/kg, showed a marked effect on the serum marker enzymes indicating prominent hepatoprotective activity. The noteworthy wound-healing and hepato-protective properties of G. crassa besides anti-ulcer activity next to L. papillosa were indicative of its potential for further consideration.
Highlights
Plants and terrestrial microorganisms have been the focus of the search for new drug leads
The acetone extract of Gracilaria crassa and Laurencia papillosa significantly reduced the total volume of gastric juice, free and total acidity of gastric secretion and Na+ content of gastric juice at 200 mg/kg concentration
The percentage of antiulcer activity of seaweed L. papillosa and G. crassa at 200 mg/kg were comparable to the performance of the standard drug Ranitidine
Summary
Plants and terrestrial microorganisms have been the focus of the search for new drug leads. The chemical novelty associated with such natural products offer great scope, as scientists are on the lookout for novel drug leads to combat the increasing incidence of infectious diseases and the development of resistance to existing pharmaceuticals. In this context, marine organisms such as bacteria, fungi, algae, sponges, soft corals, tunicates, molluscs and bryozoans have been shown to be the potential sources of novel and biologically active natural compounds with numerous pharmacological potentialities (Faulkner, 2000). The lower prevalence of breast and prostate cancer in Japan and China has been linked directly to seaweeds that are consumed in appreciable quantities in these countries than in North America and Europe (Pisani et al, 2002)
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