Antiangiogenic activity and direct antitumor effect from a sulfated polysaccharide isolated from seaweed

Angiogenesis is a dynamic proliferation and differentiation process. It requires endothelial proliferation, migration and tube formation. In this context, endothelial cells are a preferred target for several studies and therapies. Anionic polysaccharides (SV1 and PSV1) from brown seaweed Sargassum vulgare were fractionated (SV1), purified (PSV1) and displayed with high total sugars, sulfate content and very low level of protein. The antiangiogenic efficacy of polysaccharides was examined in vivo in the chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) model by using fertilized eggs. Decreases in the density of the capillaries were assessed and scored. The results showed that SV1 and PSV1 have an inhibitory effect on angiogenesis. These results were also confirmed by the inhibition of tubulogenesis in rabbit aorta endothelial cell (RAEC) in matrigel. These compounds were assessed in an apoptosis assay (Annexin V-FITC/PI) and cell viability by MTT assay of RAEC. These polysaccharides did not affect the viability and did not have apoptotic or necrotic action. RAEC cell when incubated with SV1and PSV1 showed inhibition of VEGF secretion, observed when compounds were incubated at 25, 50 and 100 μg/μL. The VEGF secretion with the RAEC cell line for 24 h was more effective for PSV1 at 50 μg/μL (71.4%) than for SV1 at 100 μg/μL (75.9%). SV1 and PSV1 had an antiproliferative action (47%) against tumor cell line HeLa. Our results indicate that these sulfated polysaccharides have antiangiogenic and antitumor actions.