THE SULFATED POLYSACCHARIDE OF RED MICROALGAE AS A PLATFORM FOR ZINC COMPLEXATION

Sulfated polysaccharides (PS) derived from the cell wall of the red marine microalga Porphyiridium sp. have been shown to possess a variety of bioactivities, e.g., antiviral, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-irritating, and they can also act as bio lubricants. PS solutions, highly viscous at low polymer concentrations, are stable across a wide range of extreme conditions.¹

Due to the ion-exchange capabilities and the negative charge of the PS, it was suggested that a PS-metal complex will promote a synergistic enhancement of PS and metal properties. This research focuses on elucidating the structural conformation and antibacterial activity of the zinc-PS complex.

Zinc, a key player in wound healing that is also active against a wide variety of pathogens and viruses, is toxic to human cells at high concentrations.²

The antibacterial activity of the zinc-PS complex was found to be higher than that of the native PS against gram negative and positive bacteria.

It was found by small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) measurements that although the PS solution fits a semiflexible form factor, zinc-PS complex chains behave similar to neutral polymer chains due to the screening of the PS charges by the zinc ions.

The combination of the wound healing and antiseptic properties of zinc with the unique rheological properties and bioactivities of the PS can promote the development of products with novel properties for use in the pharmaceutical, cosmetics and food industries.

References:

1. Arad and Levy‐Ontman. "Sulfated polysaccharides in the cell wall of red microalgae." Handbook of Biopolymer-Based Materials: From Blends and Composites to Gels and Complex Networks (2013)

2. Lansdown et al. "Zinc in wound healing: theoretical, experimental, and clinical aspects." Wound Repair and Regeneration (2007)