Chemical structure and biological properties of sulfated fucan from the sequential extraction of subAntarctic Lessonia sp (Phaeophyceae)

This work is related to the structural characterization of the sulfated polysaccharide from Lessonia sp and the study of its antioxidant and antiparasitic properties. Sequential extraction afforded D-mannitol as the only low MW sugar alcohol. Extraction with 2% CaCl2 afforded in 3.0% yield, a sulfated fucan (SF). Its major fraction (48.5% yield), isolated by ion-exchange chromatography corresponds to a linear polymer of alpha-L-fucopyranosil residues linked 1 -> 3, sulfated at the O-4 and partially at O-2 positions. By alkaline extraction, sodium alginate (10.3% yield) was obtained. The antioxidant capacity of SF by ESR showed high elimination index (IC50, mg/mL) of hydroxyl (0.27), alkoxy (10.05), and peroxyl (82.88) radicals in relation to commercial mannitol. SF showed activity against the epimastigote form of Trypanosoma cruzi parasite (250 mu g/mL) and low cytotoxicity in murine cells (367 mu g/mL). The elimination capacity of radicals in aqueous medium of SF would allow its potential biomedical application.