Macromolecule extracted from Gracilaria caudata reduces inflammation and restores hepatic function in nimesulide-induced hepatic damage

• Published in: Journal of applied phycology 2020-04, Vol.32 (2), p.1511-1520
• Main Authors: Júnior, Genilson José Dias, Lemos, Sarah Izabelly Alves, de Brito, Tarcisio Vieira, Pereira, Cynthia Maria Carvalho, da Cruz Júnior, José Simião, dos Santos Ferreira, Jayro, da Rocha Rodrigues, Lauanda, do Nascimento Lima, José Victor, da Silva Monteiro, Carlos Eduardo, Franco, Alvaro Xavier, Soares, Pedro Marcos Gomes, Alves, Even Herlany Pereira, Vasconcelos, Daniel Fernando Pereira, Barros, Francisco Clark Nogueira, Freitas, Ana Lúcia Ponte, dos Reis Barbosa, André Luiz
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Algae; Aquatic reptiles; Bioactive compounds; Biochemical tests; Biological effects; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Cytokines; Damage assessment; Ecology; Freshwater & Marine Ecology; Gracilaria caudata; Health promotion; IL-1β; Inflammation; Inflammatory response; Injury prevention; Interleukins; Lesions; Leukocyte migration; Life Sciences; Liver; Markers; Migrations; Necrosis; Neoplasms; Nimesulide; Oxidative stress; Pain perception; Peroxidase; Plant Physiology; Plant Sciences; Polysaccharides; Saccharides; Seaweeds; Tumor necrosis factor-α; Weight
• ISSN: 0921-8971; 1573-5176
• DOI: 10.1007/s10811-020-02039-x

Seaweeds are a source of novel bioactive compounds such as sulfated polysaccharides (PLS) that are not found in plants, but that may confer health-promoting properties. Sulfated polysaccharides extracted from seaweeds have several biologically beneficial effects. The PLS extracted from the red alga Gracilaria caudata are known to have anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive, and gastroprotective activities. The present study aimed to evaluate the hepatoprotective effect of PLS obtained from G. caudata on a nimesulide-induced liver damage model. Hepatic lesions were induced in mice by oral doses of nimesulide (200 mg kg −1 ) administered once daily for 5 days. Once a day, 30 min after administration of nimesulide, PLS was administered intraperitoneally at concentrations of 2.5, 5, and 10 mg kg −1 . Subsequently, blood was collected for biochemical tests and the liver was removed to evaluate inflammatory parameters. Administration of PLS at the dose of 10 mg kg −1 led to a significant reduction in hepatic injury, liver weight/animal weight ratio, the levels of a neutrophil migration marker (myeloperoxidase), pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α), nitrate and nitrite, oxidative stress markers, and hepatic function markers. As per our results, the PLS extracted from G. caudata was able to modulate the inflammatory response in nimesulide-induced hepatic damage in addition to re-establishing the hepatic homeostatic functions.