In Vitro and In Vivo Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Sulfated Polysaccharides Isolated from the Edible Brown Seaweed, Sargassum fulvellum

In the present study, the in vitro and in vivo anti-inflammatory effects of the sulfated polysaccharides isolated from Sargassum fulvellum (SFPS) were evaluated in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages and zebrafish. The results indicated that SFPS improved the viability of LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages from 80.02 to 86.80, 90.09, and 94.62% at the concentration of 25, 50, and 100 µg/mL, respectively. Also, SFPS remarkably and concentration-dependently decreased the production levels of inflammatory molecules including nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor-alpha, prostaglandin E2, interleukin-1 beta, and interleukin-6 in LPS-treated RAW 264.7 macrophages. In addition, SFPS significantly inhibited the expression levels of cyclooxygenase-2 and inducible nitric oxide synthase in LPS-treated RAW 264.7 macrophages. Furthermore, the in vivo test results indicated that SFPS improved the survival rate of LPS-treated zebrafish from 53.33 to 56.67, 60.00, and 70.00% at the concentration of 25, 50, and 100 µg/mL, respectively. In addition, SFPS effectively reduced cell death, reactive oxygen species, and NO levels in LPS-stimulated zebrafish. Taken together, these results suggested that SFPS possesses strong in vitro and in vivo anti-inflammatory activities, and could be used as an ingredient to develop anti-inflammatory agents in the functional food and pharmaceutical industries.