Protective effect of polysaccharides from Sargassum horneri against oxidative stress in RAW264.7 cells

This study was designed to investigate chemical composition and the protective effects of polysaccharides isolated from Sargassum horneri against hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced oxidative injury in RAW264.7 cells. Results showed that isolated polysaccharides (SHSc) and the major fractions (SHS1, SHS0.5) contained sulfate ester, and SHS1 was high fucose-containing sulfated polysaccharide. After preincubation with three isolated polysaccharides, RAW264.7 cells viability were significantly restored and decreased in cellular LDH release (P < 0.05). SHS1 and SHS0.5 decreased intracellular ROS level, intracellular NO and malonic dialdehyde (MDA) level (P < 0.05), restoring activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) (P < 0.05), decreasing inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) (P < 0.05). Moreover, preincubation of SHS1 with RAW264.7 cells resulted in the increase of the gene expression level of endogenous antioxidant enzymes such as MnSOD and GSH-Px (P < 0.05). These results clearly showed that SHSc and its fractions could attenuate H2O2-induced stress injury in RAW264.7 cells, and a similar efficiency in protecting RAW264.7 cells against H2O2-induced oxidative injury between SHS1 and Vitamin C. Taken together, our findings suggested that SHS1 can effectively protect RAW264.7 cells against oxidative stress by H2O2, which might be used as a potential natural antioxidant in the functional food and pharmaceutical industries.