A Blend Consisting of Agaran from Seaweed Gracilaria birdiae and Chromium Picolinate Is a Better Antioxidant Agent than These Two Compounds Alone

Yara Campanelli-Morais; Cynthia Haynara Ferreira Silva; Marina Rocha do Nascimento Dantas; Diego Araujo Sabry; Guilherme Lanzi Sassaki; Susana Margarida Gomes Moreira; Hugo Alexandre Oliveira Rocha

doi:10.3390/md21070388

A Blend Consisting of Agaran from Seaweed Gracilaria birdiae and Chromium Picolinate Is a Better Antioxidant Agent than These Two Compounds Alone

Mar Drugs. 2023 Jun 29;21(7):388. doi: 10.3390/md21070388.

Authors

Yara Campanelli-Morais¹, Cynthia Haynara Ferreira Silva¹, Marina Rocha do Nascimento Dantas¹, Diego Araujo Sabry², Guilherme Lanzi Sassaki³, Susana Margarida Gomes Moreira^{1

4}, Hugo Alexandre Oliveira Rocha^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Programa de Pós-Graduação em Bioquimica e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal 59078-900, Brazil.
² Dapartamento de Bioquímica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal 59078-900, Brazil.
³ Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Setor de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Paraná (UFPR), Curitiba 81531-980, Brazil.
⁴ Departamento de Biologia Celular e Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal 59078-900, Brazil.

Abstract

A blend refers to the combination of two or more components to achieve properties that are superior to those found in the individual products used for their production. Gracilaria birdiae agaran (SPGb) and chromium picolinate (ChrPic) are both antioxidant agents. However, there is no documentation of blends that incorporate agarans and ChrPic. Hence, the objective of this study was to generate blends containing SPGb and ChrPic that exhibit enhanced antioxidant activity compared to SPGb or ChrPic alone. ChrPic was commercially acquired, while SPGb was extracted from the seaweed. Five blends (B1; B2; B3; B4; B5) were produced, and tests indicated B5 as the best antioxidant blend. B5 was not cytotoxic or genotoxic. H₂O₂ (0.6 mM) induced toxicity in fibroblasts (3T3), and this effect was abolished by B5 (0.05 mg·mL^-1); neither ChrPic nor SPGb showed this effect. The cells also showed no signs of toxicity when exposed to H₂O₂ after being incubated with B5 and ChrPic for 24 h. In another experiment, cells were incubated with H₂O₂ and later exposed to SPGb, ChrPic, or B5. Again, SPGb was not effective, while cells exposed to ChrPic and B5 reduced MTT by 100%. The data demonstrated that B5 has activity superior to SPGb and ChrPic and points to B5 as a product to be used in future in vivo tests to confirm its antioxidant action. It may also be indicated as a possible nutraceutical agent.

Keywords: Rhodophyta; nutraceutic; oxidative stress; sulfated polysaccharide.

MeSH terms

Antioxidants / pharmacology
Gracilaria*
Hydrogen Peroxide / pharmacology
Rhodophyta*
Seaweed*
Vegetables

Substances

Antioxidants
picolinic acid
Hydrogen Peroxide

Grants and funding

309771/2019-6/National Council for Scientific and Technological Development