Atividades biológicas de xilana de sabugo de milho

The corn cob is an agricultural by-product still little used, this in part due to the low knowledge of the biotechnological potential of their molecules. Xylan from corn cobs (XSM) is a polysaccharide present in greater quantity in the structure of plant and its biotechnology potential is little known. This study aimed to the extraction, chemical characterization and evaluation of biological activities of xylan from corn cobs. To this end, corncobs were cleaned, cut, dried and crushed, resulting in flour. This was subjected to a methodology that combines the use of alkaline conditions with waves of ultrasound. After methanol precipitation, centrifugation and drying was obtained a yield of 40% (g/g flour). Chemical analysis indicated a high percentage of polysaccharides in the sample (60%) and low contamination by protein (0.4%) and phenolic compounds (> 0.01%). Analysis of monosaccharide composition indicated the presence of xylose:glucose:arabinose:galactose:mannose:glucuronic acid in a molar ratio 50:20:15:10:2.5:2.5. The presence of xylan in the sample was confirmed by nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H and ¹³C) and infrared spectroscopy (IR). Tests were conducted to evaluate the antioxidant potential of XSM. This showed a total antioxidant capacity of 48.45 EAA/g sample. However, did not show scavenging activity of superoxide and hydroxyl radical and also reducing power. But, showing a high capacity chelating iron ions with 70% with about 2 mg/mL. The ability to XSM to influence cell proliferation in culture was also evaluated. This polymer did not influence the proliferation of normal fibroblast cells (3T3), however, decreased the rate of proliferation of tumor cells (HeLa) in a dose-dependent, reaching an inhibition of about 50% with a concentration around 2 mg/mL. Analyzing proteins related to cell death, by immunoblotting, XSM increases the amount of Bax, Bcl-2 decrease, increase cytochrome c and AIF, and reduce pro-caspase-3, indicating the induction of cell death induced apoptosis dependent and independent of caspase. XSM did not show anticoagulant activity in the PT test. However, the test of activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), XSM increased clotting time at about 5 times with 600 μg of sample compared with the negative control. The presence of sulfate on the XSM was discarded by agarose gel electrophoresis and IR. After carboxyl-reduction of XSM the anticoagulant activity decreased dramatically. The data of this study demonstrate that XSM has potential as antioxidant, antiproliferative and anticoagulant compound. Future studies to characterize these activities of XSM will help to increase knowledge about this molecule extracted from corn and allow their use in functional foods, pharmaceuticals and chemical industries.

Efeito de glucanas do fungo Caripia montagnei em modelo de inflamação intestinal induzida por tnbs em ratos Wistar e em células de carcinoma de cólon humano HT-29

Compounds derived from fungi has been the subject of many studies in order to broaden the knowledge of their bioactive potential. Polysaccharides from Caripia montagnei have been described to possess anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. In this study, glucans extracted from Caripia montagnei mushroom were chemically characterized and their effects evaluated at different doses and intervals of treatment. It was also described their action on colonic injury in the model of colitis induced by 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS), and its action on cells of the human colon carcinoma (HT-29). Compounds extracted of C. montagnei contain high level of carbohydrates (96%), low content of phenolic compounds (1.5%) and low contamination with proteins (2.5%). The (FT-IR) and (NMR) analysis showed that polysaccharides from this species of mushroom are composed of α- and β-glucans. The colonic damage was evaluated by macroscopic, histological, biochemical and immunologic analyses. The results showed a reduction of colonic lesions in all groups treated with the glucans of Caripia montagnei (GCM). GCM significantly reduced the levels of IL-6 (50 and 75 mg/kg, p < 0.05), a major inflammatory cytokine. Biochemical analyses showed that such glucans acted on reducing levels of alkaline phosphatase (75 mg/kg, p < 0.01), nitric oxide (p < 0.001), and myeloperoxidase (p < 0.001). These results were confirmed microscopically by the reduction of cellular infiltration. The increase of catalase activity suggest a protective effect of GCM on colonic tissue, confirming their anti-inflammatory potential. GCM displayed cytostatic activity against HT-29 cells, causing accumulation of cells in G1 phase, blocking the cycle cell progression. Those glucans also showed ability to modulate the adhesion of HT-29 cells to Matrigel® and reduced the oxidative stress. The antiproliferative activity against HT-29 cells displayed by GCM (p <0.001) can be attributed to its cytostatic activity and induction of apoptosis by GCM

Propriedades antioxidante, anti-hemostástica e antiproliferativa de galactanas sulfatadas da alga vermelha hypnea musciformis (wulfen) j. V. Lamouroux

Marine algae are one of the major sources of biologic compounds. In extracellular matrix of these organisms there are sulfated polysaccharides that functions as structural components and provides protection against dehydration. The fraction 1.0 (F1.0) rich in sulfated galactans obtained from red seaweed Hypnea musciformis was physicochemical characterized and evaluated for pharmacologic activity through antioxidant activity, cytotoxic action on erythrocytes, anticoagulant, stimulatory action under antithrombotic heparan sulfate synthesis and their effects on cell proliferation and cycle cell progression. The main components of F1.0 were carbohydrates (49.70 ± 0.10%) and sulfate (44.59 ± 0.015%), presenting phenolic compounds (4.79 ± 0.016%) and low protein contamination (0.92 ± 0.001%). Fraction 1.0 showed polidisperse profile and signs in infrared analysis in 1262, 1074 and 930, 900 and 850 attributed to sulfate esters S=O bond, presence of a 3,6- anidrogalactose C-O bond, non-sulfated β-D-galactose and a C-O-SO4 bond in galactose C4, respectively. The fraction rich in sulfated galactans exhibited strong antioxidant action under lipid peroxidation assay with IC50 of 0.003 mg/mL. Besides the inhibition of hemolysis induced by H2O2 in erythrocytes treated with F1.0, this fraction did not promote significant cytotoxity under erythrocytes membranes. F1.0 exhibited low anticoagulant activity causing moderate direct inhibition of enzimatic activity of thrombin. This fraction promoted stimulation around of 4.6 times on this synthesis of heparan sulfate (HS) by rabbit aortic endothelial cells (RAEC) in culture when was compared with non treated cells. The fraction of this algae displayed antiproliferative action under RAEC cells causing incresing on cell number on S fase, blocking the cycle cell progression. Thus F1.0 presented cytostatic and no cytotoxic action under this cell lineage. These results suggest that F1.0 from H. musciformis have antioxidant potential which is a great effect for a compound used as food and in food industry which could be an alternative to food industry to prevent quality decay of lipid containing food due to lipid peroxidation. These polysaccharides prevent the lipid peroxidation once the fraction in study exhibited strong inhibitory action of this process. Furthermore that F1.0 present strong antithrombotic action promoting the stimulation of antithrombotic HS synthesis by endothelial cells, being important for thrombosis preventing, by its inhibitory action under reactive oxygen species (ROS) in some in vitro methods, being involved in promotion of hypercoagulability state.

Caracterização estrutural e avaliação das atividades farmacológicas da fucana B extraída da alga Dictyota menstrualis

Seaweeds are a major source of biologically active compounds . In the extracellular matrix of these organisms are sulfated polysaccharides that functions as structural components preventing it against dehydration. The fraction 0.9 (FucB) rich in sulfated fucans obtained from brown seaweed Dictyota menstrualis was chemical characterized and evaluated for pharmacological activity by testing anticoagulant activity, stimulatory action on the synthesis of an antithrombotic heparan sulfate, antioxidant activity and its effects in cell proliferation. The main components were FucB carbohydrates (49.80 ± 0.10 %) and sulfate (42.30 ± 0.015 %), with phenolic compounds ( 3.86 ± 0.016 %) and low protein contamination ( 0.58 ± 0.001 % ) . FucB showed polydisperse profile and analysis of signals in the infrared at 1262, 1074 and 930 cm -1 and 840 assigned to S = O bonds sulfate esters , CO bond presence of 3,6- anhydrogalactose , β -D- galactose non- sulfated sulfate and the axial position of fucose C4 , respectively. FucB exhibited moderate anticoagulant activity , the polysaccharides prolonged time (aPTT ) 200 ug ( > 90s ) partial thromboplastin FucB no effect on prothrombin time (PT), which corresponds to the extrinsic pathway of coagulation was observed. This stimulation promoted fraction of about 3.6 times the synthesis of heparan sulfate (HS) by endothelial cells of the rabbit aorta ( RAEC ) in culture compared with cells not treated with FucB . This has also been shown to compete for the binding site with heparin. The rich fraction sulfated fucans exhibited strong antioxidant activity assays on total antioxidant (109.7 and 89.5 % compared with BHT and ascorbic acid standards ) , reducing power ( 71 % compared to ascorbic acid ) and ferric chelation ( 71 , comparing with 5 % ascorbic acid). The fraction of algae showed cytostatic activity on the RAEC cells revealed that the increase of the synthesis of heparan sulfate is not related to proliferation. FucB showed antiproliferative action on cell lines modified as Hela and Hep G2 by MTT assay . These results suggest that FucB Dictyota menstrualis have anticoagulant , antithrombotic , antioxidant potential as well as a possible antitumor action, promoting the stimulation of the synthesis of antithrombotic HS by endothelial cells and is useful in the prevention of thrombosis, also due to its inhibitory action on species reactive oxygen ( ROS ) in some in vitro systems , being involved in promoting a hypercoagulable state