Separation, characterization and anticancer activities of a sulfated polysaccharide from Undaria pinnatifida

•A sulfated polysaccharide (SPUP) from Undaria pinnatifida was successfully separated.•Preliminary characterization of SPUP was reported.•SPUP has strongly against breast cancer activity.•Anticancer activities may be related to immunomodulatory and regulating sex hormones.

The purpose of this paper was to investigate separation, characterization and anticancer activities of a sulfated polysaccharide (SPUP) from Undaria pinnatifida. Firstly, polysaccharide from U. pinnatifida was separated by DEAE-52 cellulose and Sephacryl S-400 column chromatography. As results, SPUP was obtained with the yield of 19.42%. Then, SPUP was characterized using chemical analysis, gas chromatography, size-exclusion HPLC chromatography, UV–vis spectra and FT-IR spectrum. The content of total sugar, uronic acid, protein and sulfate radical were 80.48%, 3.21%, 7.12% and 29.14%, respectively. SPUP was a heteropolysaccharide composed of fucose, glucose and galactose in a molar percentage of 27.15:19.34:53.51 with molecular weight of 97.9 kDa. Finally, the strongly against breast cancer activity of SPUP was confirmed by DMBA-induced breast cancer rats model. AS results, SPUP can significantly restrain breast abnormal enlargement, prolong tumor latency and reduced tumor incidence. Immunomodulatory activity and regulating abnormal sex hormones level might contribute to its anticancer activities.