Abstract
Sulfated polysaccharides (SP) are found mainly in seaweeds and animals. To date, they have only been found in six plants and all inhabit saline environments. Furthermore, there are no reports of SP in freshwater or terrestrial plants. As such, this study investigated the presence of SP in freshwaters Eichhornia crassipes, Egeria densa, Egeria naja, Cabomba caroliniana, Hydrocotyle bonariensis and Nymphaea ampla. Chemical analysis identified sulfate in N. ampla, H. bonariensis and, more specifically, E. crassipes. In addition, chemical analysis, FT-IR spectroscopy, histological analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDXA), as well as agarose gel electrophoresis detected SP in all parts of E. crassipes, primarily in the root (epidermis and vascular bundle). Galactose, glucose and arabinose are the main monosaccharides found in the sulfated polysaccharides from E. crassipes. In activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) test, to evaluate the intrinsic coagulation pathway, SP from the root and rhizome prolonged the coagulation time to double the baseline value, with 0.1 mg/mL and 0.15 mg/mL, respectively. However, SP from the leaf and petiole showed no anticoagulant activity. Eichornia SP demonstrated promising anticoagulant potential and have been selected for further studies on bioguided fractionation; isolation and characterization of pure polysaccharides from this species. Additionally in vivo experiments are needed and are already underway.
Highlights
Sulfated polysaccharides (SP) from different sources have been studied in the light of their important pharmacological activities, such as anticoagulant, antioxidant, antiproliferative, antitumoral, anticomplementary, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral properties [1]
In order to rule out the possibility that the sulfate in some samples could be derived from the proteins, but not polysaccharides, the proteins in the samples were precipitated with trichloroacetic acid (TCA) (80%)
The present study demonstrates that E. crassipes produces SP, making it important to evaluate the polysaccharide bioactivity of this freshwater plant
Summary
Sulfated polysaccharides (SP) from different sources have been studied in the light of their important pharmacological activities, such as anticoagulant, antioxidant, antiproliferative, antitumoral, anticomplementary, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral properties [1]. Unfractionated and low molecular weight heparins are the only sulfated polysaccharides currently used as anticoagulants. These compounds have several side effects including bleeding and thrombocytopenia, increasing the need to search for alternative sources of anticoagulant agents, such as other SP. Sulfated glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are the best-known animal SP They are polydisperse linear polysaccharides composed of alternate units of hexosamine and uronic acid, connected by glycosidic linkages. GAGs display peculiar structural variability according to tissue and species Considering their cellular localization, structural diversity, and expression changes during different physiological conditions, including cell division, cell growth, cell adhesion, cell migration, cell differentiation, etc., this raises the hypothesis that PGs and GAGs play a specific role in cellular interactions
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