Inhibitory activity of Sargassum hemiphyllum sulfated polysaccharide in arachidonic acidinduced animal models of inflammation

Inhibitory activity of Sargassum hemiphyllum sulfated polysaccharide in arachidonic acidinduced animal models of inflammation

Sargassum hemiphyllum is a common plant found on the coasts of Taiwan; it has been used as an anti-inflammatory agent in traditional herbal medicine. This study aimed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effects of S. hemiphyllum sulfated polysaccharide (SHSP) using two different mouse models. In both arachidonic acid-induced ear inflammatory gavage and paint models, SHSP decreased ear swelling and erythema. In addition, SHSP decreased the production of myeloperoxidase, nitric oxide, interleukin-1b (IL-1b), IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-a in a dose-dependent manner. Histological examination results showed that SHSP reduced the area of neutrophilic infiltration in inflamed ears. The anti-inflammatory activity of SHSP has already been demonstrated in vitro. In this study, SHSP extracted from the same species of brown seaweed exhibited anti-inflammatory activity in both oral and topical applications in vivo. Therefore, SHSP may play a role in the treatment of inflammatory diseases.