EVALUATION OF ANTI-INFLAMMATORY ACTIVITY OF MACROALGAE COLLECTED FROM BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR, MEXICO

Objective: This study aimed to establish the anti-inflammatory potential of macroalgae from Baja California Sur, Mexico. Methods: The anti-inflammatory activity of the extracts from 10 macroalgae species was evaluated in vitro and in vivo. Dichloromethane, ethanolic, and aqueous extracts were obtained from each species. The criteria used to determine anti-inflammatory activity included 1) the membrane protection of human red blood cells (HRBCs) against hemolysis induced by hypotonicity, 2) the inhibition of heat-induced protein denaturation (IDP), and 3) the inhibition of mouse ear edema and the myeloperoxidase (MPO) enzyme. Results: The dichloromethane extracts of Gracilaria vermiculophylla and Opuntiella californica were the most active, both in vitro and in vivo. These extracts resulted in values of HRBC membrane protection above 95%, which were similar to those obtained with diclofenac sodium. And reduce the inflammation with edema inhibition percentage up to 60 % while the control indomethacin was able to inhibit edema by 82.3 %. Conclusion: The bioprospection of several macroalgae species from Bahía de La Paz, Mexico, allowed the identification of two species with promising anti-inflammatory activity. Gracilaria vermiculophylla showed interesting topical anti-inflammatory effects and a profile of compounds (flavonoids and terpenes) that may contribute to the potential biological properties of this seaweed. This study represents the first report of the anti-inflammatory potential of O. californica.

Effects of novel, non-native detritus on decomposition and invertebrate community assemblage

When non-native primary producers become successful, the structure and function of native detrital food webs can be fundamentally altered. Salt marsh estuaries of the southeastern USA are in part detritus-based ecosystems and rely on the annual production of detritus from a single native species, the smooth cordgrass Spartina alterniflora. Over the last several decades, the success of a novel primary producer, the red macroalga Agarophyton vermiculophyllum (formerly Gracilaria vermiculophylla), in a system historically devoid of macroalgae provides the opportunity to measure the effect of non-native basal resources on native detrital pathways. We conducted 2 in situ experiments to compare (1) decomposition rates of A. vermiculophyllum and S. alterniflora and (2) invertebrate colonization rates onto dead A. vermiculophyllum and S. alterniflora. Relative to S. alterniflora, we found that A. vermiculophyllum decomposes more rapidly, losing 80% or more of its biomass within 3 wk, while S. alterniflora lost ~50%. Experimental litterbags with decomposed A. vermiculophyllum and S. alterniflora harbored similar highly abundant invertebrate communities that differed greatly from denuded areas. Our results demonstrate that A. vermiculophyllum provides a complementary source of labile organic matter relative to S. alterniflora, boosting the amount of food and available habitat for small invertebrates of intertidal salt marshes and mudflats. Thus, non-native macrophytes may differentially affect community and ecosystem properties just as much when dead as alive, especially when they are biologically distinct from native species.

The capability of the red seaweed Gracilaria vermiculophylla in producing prostaglandins

The red seaweed G. vermiculophylla is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids with 20 carbon atoms, mainly arachidonic acid (AA) and eicosapentaenoic acid, which are precursors of prostaglandins (PGs). The present study aimed to elucidate the capability of the seaweed in releasing PGs using acetone powder as the crude enzyme. Crude enzyme was prepared using cold acetone. The crude enzyme was incubated with AA at different concentrations (0.1– 4 mg). For determination of PG contents, 5 µL of sample as the test solution corresponding to 0.2 g wet mass of the seaweed was injected into the HPLC. For mass spectrometer analysis, an HPLC system connected with mass spectrometer was used. Results of the study showed that t he released PGs from incubation of acetone powder and AA analyzed by HPLC consisted of PGE 2 , 15-keto-PGE 2 , 15-hydroperoxy-PGE 2 , PGA 2 , and AA while PGs detected by LC-MS were PGF 2α , PGE 2 , 15-keto-PGE 2 , 15-hydroperoxy-PGE 2 , and PGA 2 . The capability of the red algae in producing PGs was affected by available oxygen, aspirin, a cyclooxygenase inhibitor, and AA concentration. The crude enzyme of the red alga (250 mg) was capable to produce 1.63 µg and 1.32 µg of PG 2 and 15-keto-PGE 2 from incubation with 0.25 mg of AA. This method could be the one way to provide PGs in vitro to fulfill demands of PGs in the pharmaceutical industry.

The capability of the red seaweed Gracilaria vermiculophylla in producing prostaglandins

The red seaweed G. vermiculophylla is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids with 20 carbon atoms, mainly arachidonic acid (AA) and eicosapentaenoic acid, which are precursors of prostaglandins (PGs). The present study aimed to elucidate the capability of the seaweed in releasing PGs using acetone powder as the crude enzyme. Crude enzyme was prepared using cold acetone. The crude enzyme was incubated with AA at different concentrations (0.1– 4 mg). For determination of PG contents, 5 µL of sample as the test solution corresponding to 0.2 g wet mass of the seaweed was injected into the HPLC. For mass spectrometer analysis, an HPLC system connected with mass spectrometer was used. Results of the study showed that t he released PGs from incubation of acetone powder and AA analyzed by HPLC consisted of PGE 2 , 15-keto-PGE 2 , 15-hydroperoxy-PGE 2 , PGA 2 , and AA while PGs detected by LC-MS were PGF 2α , PGE 2 , 15-keto-PGE 2 , 15-hydroperoxy-PGE 2 , and PGA 2 . The capability of the red algae in producing PGs was affected by available oxygen, aspirin, a cyclooxygenase inhibitor, and AA concentration. The crude enzyme of the red alga (250 mg) was capable to produce 1.63 µg and 1.32 µg of PG 2 and 15-keto-PGE 2 from incubation with 0.25 mg of AA. This method could be the one way to provide PGs in vitro to fulfill demands of PGs in the pharmaceutical industry.