Antiviral Effects of Sulfated Exopolysaccharide from
the Marine Microalga Gyrodinium impudicum Strain KG03
J.H.
Yim, S.J. Kim, S.H. Ahn, C.K. Lee, K.T. Rhie, H.K. Lee
Marine Biotechnology, 6(1): 17-25
Abstract :
The
sulfated exopolysaccharide p-KG03, which is produced by the marine microalga
Gyrodinium impudicum strain KG03, exhibited impressive antiviral
activity in vitro (EC50 = 26.9 µg/ml) against the
encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV). Depending on the p-KG03 concentration,
the development of cytopathic effects in EMCV-infected HeLa cells was either
inhibited completely or slowed. Moreover, p-KG03 did not show any cytotoxic
effects on HeLa cells, even at concentrations up to 1000 µg/ml. The
polysaccharide was purified by repeated precipitation in ethanol, followed
by gel filtration. The p-KG03 polysaccharide had a molecular weight of 1.87
× 107, and was characterized as a homopolysaccharide of
galactose with uronic acid (2.96% wt/wt) and sulfate groups (10.32% wt/wt).
The biological activities of p-KG03 suggest that sulfated metabolites from
marine organisms are a rich source of antiviral agents. This is the first
reported marine source of antiviral sulfated polysaccharides against EMCV.
The p-KG03 polysaccharide may be useful in the development of marine
bioactive exopolysaccharide for biotechnological and pharmaceutical
products.
(Microbiology
Laboratory, Korea Ocean Research & Development Institute, Ansan P.O. Box
29, Seoul 425-600, Republic of Korea, e-mail of H.K. Lee: hklee@kordi.re.kr)