The composition and anti-inflammatory effect of polysaccharides from the red alga Chondrus verrucosus

Polysaccharides prepared from the red alga Chondrus verrucosus (Rhodophyta, Gigartinales) were subjected to anion-exchange column chromatography, and the chemical characteristics of the fractions (designated CV1, CV2 and CV3 in the order of elution) were examined based on carbohydrate and sulfate contents and monosaccharide composition. Furthermore, the anti-inflammatory effect of the fractions on the degranulation in RBL-2H3 cells stimulated by A23187 was investigated. The results showed that the major monosaccharide component was galactose. The CV1 and CV2 fractions showed higher anti-inflammatory activity against RBL-2H3 cells than the CV3 fraction. The difference in activity may be related to the sulfate contents, namely, the contents of CV1, CV2 and CV3 fractions were 25.3 ± 3.3%, 28.1 ± 1.1%, and 7.4 ± 1.8%, respectively.