Diogo R.B. Ducatti

Sulfated and pyruvylated disaccharide alditols obtained from a red seaweed galactan: ESIMS and NMR approaches

The water-soluble acid agaran isolated from Acanthophora spicifera (Rhodophyta) was submitted to alkaline treatment for the complete cyclization of alpha-L-Galp 6-sulfate to 3,6-An-alpha-L-Galp units. The modified agaran was then partially depolymerized using partial reductive hydrolysis. The resulting oligosaccharide mixture was fractionated by adsorption and ion-exchange chromatography. Fractions were purified by gel-filtration chromatography and studied by ESIMS and NMR spectroscopy, including 1D 1H, 13C, DEPT and 2D 1H, 1H COSY, TOCSY and 1H, 13C HMQC procedures. The following neutral, pyruvylated, sulfated and sulfated/pyruvylated disaccharide alditols were obtained: beta-D-Galp-(1-->4)-3,6-An-L-GalOH; 4,6-O-(1-carboxyethylidene)-beta-D-Galp-(1-->4)-3,6-An-L-GalOH; beta-D-Galp 2-sulfate-(1-->4)-3,6-An-L-GalOH and 4,6-O-(1-carboxyethylidene)-beta-D-Galp 2-sulfate-(1-->4)-3,6-An-L-GalOH.

Agar from Gracilaria gracilis (Gracilariales, Rhodophyta) of the Patagonic coast of Argentina--content, structure and physical properties.

Milled summer thalli of Gracilaria gracilis from Argentina were sequentially extracted with water at room temperature (RTW1-3), 70 degrees C (W701-3) and 90 degrees C (W901-2). Both W701 and W901 consisted of high molecular weight polysaccharides (ca. 540,000Da), but polydispersity was higher for the major product W701 (yield, 72% of the recovered). Structural analyzes by methylation and (13)C NMR spectroscopy revealed that W701 was mainly agarose. Alkaline treatment, together with structural analyzes, indicated a negligible proportion of precursor l-galactose 6-sulfate residues in this product, while they were clearly detected in the (13)C NMR spectra of RTW2-3. The presence of floridean starch in W901 had an antagonistic effect on its gel strength, which resulted nearly three times lower than that of fraction W701. Ultrastructural observation by transmission electron microscopy showed that, after extraction with hot water, a partial loss of cell wall stratification and disorganization of the cuticle had occurred. Final cellular debris exhibited swelling in the microfibrillar component. After this first thorough study of the chemical composition and physical properties of the products of G. gracilis from Bahía Bustamante we conclude that a good quality agarose is obtained in high yield after extraction with water at 70 degrees C without the requirement of alkaline pretreatment, which usually produces degradation of the polysaccharide.

Selective sulfation of carrageenans and the influence of sulfate regiochemistry on anticoagulant properties

Sulfated polysaccharides are recognized for their broad range of biological activities, including anticoagulant properties. The positions occupied by the sulfate groups are often related to the level of the inherent biological activity. Herein the naturally sulfated galactans, kappa-, iota- and theta-carrageenan, were additionally sulfated by regioselective means. The anticoagulant activity of the resulting samples was then studied using the aPTT in vitro assay. The influence of sulfate regiochemistry on the anticoagulant activity was evaluated. From kappa-carrageenan three rare polysaccharides were synthesized, one of them involved a synthetic route with an amphiphilic polysaccharide intermediate containing pivaloyl groups. Iota- and theta-carrageenan were utilized in a selective C6 sulfation at β-D-Galp units to produce different structures comprising trisulfated diads. All the samples were characterized by NMR (1D and 2D). The resulting aPPT measurements suggested that sulfation at C2 of 3,6-anhydro-α-D-Galp and C6 of β-D-Galp increased the anticoagulant activity.

Chemical structure of the complex pyruvylated and sulfated agaran from the red seaweed Palisada flagellifera (Ceramiales, Rhodophyta).

A homogeneous agaran fraction from Palisada flagellifera (Laurencia complex, Rhodomelaceae, Ceramiales) was obtained by aqueous room-temperature extraction, followed by ion-exchange chromatography. This galactan presents a highly complex structure with at least 18 different types of derivatives. The A units were found mostly pyruvylated, 2-sulfated (∼34%), and 6-methylated (∼34%), with the latter partially 2- and 2,4-sulfated. Minor amounts of β-D-galactopyranosyl units 2-, 6- and 2,6-sulfated, 6-glycosylated, and non-substituted are also present. The B-units are L-sugars composed predominantly of their cyclized derivatives, 3,6-anhydrogalactose and 3,6-anhydro-2-O-methylgalactose (∼56%). The former are linked to β-D-galactosyl (6-methyl) (6-glycosylated) units, as well as to 4,6-O-(1-carboxyethylidene)-β-D-galactose 2-sulfate in the proportion of 3:1.8, respectively. A significant amount (∼18%) of the α-L-galactopyranosyl units are linked to pyruvylated β-D-galactose 2-sulfate residues. An important part of the B-units (20%) is represented by α-L-galactose 6-sulfate substituted on C-3 by xylosyl, galactosyl and/or 2,3-di-O-methylgalactose units or sulfate groups that preclude their cyclization to 3,6-anhydrogalactosyl derivative. The precursor units are present in relatively low percentages. Kinetic studies suggest that in P. flagellifera agaran the cyclizable units are linked to 6-O-methyl-β-D-galactosyl and/or β-D-galactosyl units (6-glycosylated). The structural complexity of this polysaccharide is increased by the presence of 2- and 3,6-sulfated α-L-galactoses, with the latter additionally 2-O-methylated. Therefore, the major subfraction obtained from the cold extract contains structurally complex sulfated, methylated, and pyruvylated agaran.

Differential inhibition of dengue virus infection in mammalian and mosquito cells by iota-carrageenan

The antiviral activity against dengue virus-2 (DENV-2) of carrageenans reported here has shown a differential susceptibility of C6/36 HT and Vero cells, taken as models of mosquito and mammalian cells, depending on the structural class of polysaccharides: all polysaccharides blocked DENV-2 infection in monkey Vero cells, but only iota-carrageenans were virus inhibitors in mosquito cells. However, iota-carrageenans were less effective in mosquito cells in comparison with mammalian cells with effective concentration 50 % (EC(50)) values in C6/36 HT cells 4.9-17.5-fold higher than in Vero cells, as determined by virus yield reduction assay. The mode of action of iota-carrageenan in both cell types was strikingly different: in Vero cells the inhibitory activity was exerted only at the initiation of the cycle, affecting virion binding, whereas in mosquito cells DENV-2 adsorption was not affected and comparable levels of inhibition were obtained if the compound was added to cells together with the virus, after 8 h of infection or by cell pre-treatment before infection. Furthermore, iota-carrageenans induced a subtle alteration in mosquito cells, detected by cell proliferation and protein synthesis analyses, suggesting that a probable cellular target may be responsible for the refractory state of mosquito cells to DENV-2 infection produced by this class of polysulfates. The failure of iota-carrageenan to block DENV-2 adsorption to mosquito cells appeared to be related to the low presence of adequate heparan sulfate (HS) in C6/36 HT cell surface and is indicative of a differential participation of HS residues for DENV-2 entry in both types of cells.

ESI-MS Differential Fragmentation of Positional Isomers of Sulfated Oligosaccharides Derived from Carrageenans and Agarans

We have prepared a number of isomeric red seaweed galactan-derivative sulfated oligosaccharides to determine whether there were diagnostic differences among the isomeric mass spectra obtained using ESI CID MS/MS (triple quadrupole instrument). Fragmentation of the single or multicharged molecular ions from di-, tetra-, and hexasaccharides indicated that the relative positioning of the sulfate groups and type of monosaccharide unit affect the rate of cleavage of the glycosidic bonds. We also performed a comparative [M-Na]− fragmentation study of positional isomers of sulfated disaccharides that present all four monosulfation possibilities on the galactopyranosidic ring. In this case, negative-ion ESI CID MS/MS approach gave diagnostic product ions from cross-ring cleavages along with the same main B1 ion (from sulfated Galp), at m/z 241, for all isomers. The isomeric disaccharides were also submitted to increased spray energy conditions inducing in-source fragmentation; preformed B1 ions were then fragmented to give similar product ions as those found in [M-Na]− analysis. Evaluation of the relative abundances mainly for cross-ring fragment ions at m/z 138, 139, 151, 153 allowed clear distinction among the members of the disaccharide series. The different ratios for m/z 151/153 ions were consistent with the predominance of m/z 153 being related to the cases when the bond involved in the cleavage process links a sulfated carbon. A quadrupole ion trap instrument (MSn analysis) was also utilized to compare the results obtained with the triple quadrupole instrument.

Production of agaro- and carra-oligosaccharides by partial acid hydrolysis of galactans

Agaro- and carra-oligosaccharides were produced by partial acid hydrolysis of commercial agarose and kappa-carrageenan. Di- and tetrasaccharides were purified by gel filtration chromatography and characterized by NMR (1D and 2D) spectroscopy and ESIMS. The following oligosaccharides were obtained: agarobiose, agarotetraose, kappa-carrabiose and kappa-carratetraose. Agarobiose and agarotetraose were used as standards to develop a high performance size exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) method which was utilized to study the hydrolysis rate of agarose and oligosaccharide production. Six hours of hydrolysis (0.1 M TFA, 65 oC) produced mainly di- and tetrasaccharides. The methodology for oligosaccharide production and evaluation developed in the present work shows good potential for the production of bioactive oligosaccharides.

Sulfated heterorhamnans from the green seaweed Gayralia oxysperma: partial depolymerization, chemical structure and antitumor activity.

Sulfated heterorhamnans produced by Gayralia oxysperma were utilized for the preparation of two homogeneous and highly sulfated Smith-degraded products (M(w) of 109 and 251 kDa), which were constituted principally by 3-linked α-L-rhamnosyl units 2- or 4-sulfate and 2-linked α-L-rhamnosyl units 4- or 3,4-sulfate, in different percentages. The homogeneous products and the crude extracts containing the sulfated heterorhamnans showed cytotoxic effect against U87MG cells. These sulfated polysaccharides induced an increase in the number of cells in G1 phase with concomitant increase of the mRNA levels of p53 and p21. The presence of 2-linked disulfated rhamnose residues together with the molecular weight could be important factors to be correlated with the inhibitory effect on human glioblastoma cells.

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry analysis of oligosaccharides and oligosaccharide alditols obtained by hydrolysis of agaroses and carrageenans, two important types of red seaweed polysaccharides

MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry analyses of several oligosaccharides (aldoses) and oligosaccharide alditols derived from agaroses, kappa- and iota-carrageenans using different matrices (2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid, nor-harmane, ferulic acid, and the ionic liquid matrices 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid-n-butylamine and ferulic acid-n-butylamine) were conducted. These carbohydrates were selected as model compounds to study the MALDI prompt and post-source decay (PSD) fragmentation processes of both families of oligosaccharides. Sulfated alditols showed in the negative-ion mode the molecular ion as [M-Na](-) together with the species yielded by their prompt fragmentation (mainly desulfation) while the sulfated oligosaccharides (aldoses) showed mainly glycosidic prompt fragmentation (glycosidic C-cleavages and desulfation). Non-sulfated aldoses and alditols, which could only be analyzed in positive-ion mode ([M+Na](+)), did not suffer any prompt fragmentation. The former yielded cross-ring fragmentation in the PSD mode. Best results were obtained by using 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid and/or nor-harmane as matrices for all the compounds studied.

Photodynamic effect of meso-(aryl)porphyrins and meso-(1-methyl-4-pyridinium)porphyrins on HaCaT keratinocytes

Sixteen porphyrins, including neutral, anionic and cationic meso-(aryl)porphyrins and meso-(1-methyl-4-pyridinium)porphyrins were herein evaluated in terms of their photosensitizing properties against HaCaT keratinocytes. After an initial screening, the cationic porphyrins were studied in more details, by both determining their log POW and performing PDT assays in lower porphyrin concentrations. Porphyrins presenting two or more adjacent positively charged groups, directly linked to the macrocycle meso positions, appeared to be the most effective photosensitizers. The present study also included the dicationic 5,10-diphenyl-15,20-di(1-methylpyridinium-4-yl)porphyrin (14b), which has previously shown promising results on a psoriasis-like in vivo model. Overall results indicated that the beneficial effect related to porphyrins on psoriasis can be related to the decreasing of keratinocyte viability. Furthermore, some of the cationic porphyrins studied appeared as candidates to be utilized as photosensitizers for psoriasis treatment.