In Vitro Immunostimulating Activity of Sulfated Polysaccharides from <i>Caulerpa cupressoides</i> Var. <i>Flabellata</i>

• Main Authors: Jefferson da Silva Barbosa, Mariana Santana Santos Pereira Costa, Luciana Fentanes Moura de Melo, Mayara Jane Campos de Medeiros, Daniel de Lima Pontes, Katia Castanho Scortecci, Hugo Alexandre Oliveira Rocha
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2019-02-01
• Series: Marine Drugs
• Subjects: sulfated polysaccharides; immunostimulatory activity; macrophages; inflammatory mediators
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/17/2/105

Green seaweeds are rich sources of sulfated polysaccharides (SPs) with potential biomedical and nutraceutical applications. The aim of this work was to evaluate the immunostimulatory activity of SPs from the seaweed, <i>Caulerpa cupressoides</i> var. <i>flabellata</i> on murine RAW 264.7 macrophages. SPs were evaluated for their ability to modify cell viability and to stimulate the production of inflammatory mediators, such as nitric oxide (NO), intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), and cytokines. Additionally, their effect on inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) gene expression was investigated. The results showed that SPs were not cytotoxic and were able to increase in the production of NO, ROS and the cytokines, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-&#945;) and interleukin 6 (IL-6). It was also observed that treatment with SPs increased iNOS and COX-2 gene expression. Together, these results indicate that <i>C. cupressoides</i> var. <i>flabellata</i> SPs have strong immunostimulatory activity, with potential biomedical applications.