Distribution of heparinoid-active sulphated polysaccharides in some Indian marine green algae

Abstract

Sixteen species of Indian marine green algae belonging to the genus Caulerpa,. Cladophora, Bryopsis, Boodlea, Chaetomorpha, Ulva, Enteromorpha and Valoniopsis were screened for blood anticoagulant activity. Cold and hot water sulphated polysaccharides extracts were prepared, their chemical constituents i.e. sulphate, sugar, protein and uronic acids were estimated and molecular weight (MW) range was determined. Blood anticoagulant activity was evaluated by prothrombine time (PT) test. It was found that activity was associated with sugar and sulphate contents and MW. Extracts possessing comparatively high molecular weight (12-14 × 10 5 ) with higher sugar (≥ 20%) and sulphate (≈ 8%) and lower protein (≈ 12%) and low uronic acid (≈ 2%) contents showed maximum activity. Species of Caulerpa exhibited highest activity which is comparable to heparin i.e. they contained 93-151 heparin units/mg (IU/mg), species of Ulva and Enteromorpha showed feeble activity (≈6.0 IU/mg) and all other species had moderate activity with ≈60IU/mg. Thus, SPS isolated from different Chlorophycean algae had different chemical composition, MW range and blood anticoagulant activity which were comparable within species level, but those differed in degrees from one genus to another.