Inhibitory activity of Sargassum hemiphyllum sulfated polysaccharide in arachidonic acid-induced animal models of inflammation

J Food Drug Anal. 2015 Mar;23(1):49-56. doi: 10.1016/j.jfda.2014.05.004. Epub 2014 Oct 29.

Abstract

Sargassum hemiphyllum is a common plant found on the coasts of Taiwan; it has been used as an anti-inflammatory agent in traditional herbal medicine. This study aimed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effects of S. hemiphyllum sulfated polysaccharide (SHSP) using two different mouse models. In both arachidonic acid-induced ear inflammatory gavage and paint models, SHSP decreased ear swelling and erythema. In addition, SHSP decreased the production of myeloperoxidase, nitric oxide, interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α in a dose-dependent manner. Histological examination results showed that SHSP reduced the area of neutrophilic infiltration in inflamed ears. The anti-inflammatory activity of SHSP has already been demonstrated in vitro. In this study, SHSP extracted from the same species of brown seaweed exhibited anti-inflammatory activity in both oral and topical applications in vivo. Therefore, SHSP may play a role in the treatment of inflammatory diseases.

Keywords: Sargassum hemiphyllum; animal model; anti-inflammation; cytokines; myeloperoxidase.

Grants and funding

This research was kindly supported by grants from the Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan, Taiwan, R.O.C.