β-Eliminative depolymerization of the fucosylated chondroitin sulfate and anticoagulant activities of resulting fragments

Fucosylated chondroitin sulfate (FCS) from sea cucumber with complex structure has potent anticoagulant activity by inhibition of intrinsic tenase; however, it could activate factor XII and platelet. To obtain FCS' fragments with selective inhibition on intrinsic tenase, a method for β-eliminative depolymerization of FCS was developed by treating FCS benzyl esters with alkaline in anhydrous solution. Our results demonstrated that the glycosidic linkages of GalNAc-β1, 4-GlcA were selectively cleaved and distinctive Δ4,5 unsaturated hexuronic acid was formed at non-reducing end of resulting fragments, while the main structures were essentially stable during depolymerization. By this method, five depolymerized fragments (dFCSs) with various molecular sizes were prepared and their anticoagulant activities and activation activities of factor XII and platelet were compared. Overall, dFCSs with Mw 3.2-8.8 kDa reserved potent anticoagulant activities by inhibition of intrinsic tenase, and activation activities of factor XII or platelet could be diminished or eliminated.