Enhancing the potency of kappa-carrageenan for its biomedical applications
Amalina Ghaisani Komarudin (a), Azis Adharis (b), Agustiningsih (a), Suharti (b)

(a) Eijkman Research Center for Molecular Biology, Research Organization for Health, National Research and Innovation Agency
(b) Chemistry Study Program, Faculty of Science and Computer Science, Universitas Pertamina

Abstract

Seaweed, an abundant natural resource in Indonesia, is a rich source of carrageenan, a complex sulfated polysaccharide with diverse biological activities. However, its high molecular weight contributes to significant viscosity and low solubility, limiting its therapeutic potential. The antiviral and anticancer properties of kappa-carrageenan oligosaccharides and their sulfated derivatives remain largely underexplored. This study aims to depolymerize kappa-carrageenan, perform sulfation, and evaluate the cytotoxicity of the resulting compounds using cell lines commonly employed in viral infection studies.
Kappa-carrageenan was depolymerized via microwave-assisted hydrolysis with hydrochloric acid, followed by sulfation using chlorosulfonic acid. The resulting oligosaccharides and their sulfated derivatives were characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy, while molecular weight was determined through the glucose microdetermination method. Depolymerization yielded kappa-carrageenan oligosaccharides with a molecular weight of approximately 2 kDa. Cytotoxicity was assessed via the MTT assay, a colorimetric method for evaluating cell viability. The CC50 values for kappa-carrageenan oligosaccharides and their sulfated derivatives in A549, HEp-2, Vero E6, and RD cell lines exhibited a consistent trend, with CC50 values around 0.8 mg/mL for the oligosaccharides and exceeding 4 mg/mL for the sulfated derivatives. These findings underscore the promising biomedical potential of kappa-carrageenan oligosaccharides and their sulfated derivatives as candidates for antiviral activity evaluation in vitro. (Word count: 212)

Keywords: carrageenan, kappa carrageenan oligosaccharides, depolymerization, cytotoxixity assay

Topic: Biochemistry