Sulfated polysaccharides from red seaweed Gelidium amansii: Structural characteristics, anti-oxidant and anti-glycation properties, and development of bioactive films

Marine red algae are rich sources of sulfated polysaccharides as bioactive ingredients and hydrocolloid molecules. In this study, sulfated polysaccharides (YGAP, EGAP, and NGAP) were extracted from Gelidium amansii s that were harvested from three different sea areas of China. Characterization of these polysaccharides shows that they contain 3.7–4.0% sulfate and are mainly composed of galactose , glucose, fucose, arabinose, and mannose . The FT-IR and 13 C NMR analysis indicate that the sulfated polysaccharides are agar-type galactans containing 3,6 anhydro-α- l -galactopyranose and β- d -galactopyranose residues. By using various in vitro models, all sulfated polysaccharides, particularly EGAP, exhibit the ability to scavenge O 2 •– and OH· radicals and reducing power. Additionally, in a glucose-glycated BSA system, the polysaccharides show an inhibitory effect on protein glycation and formation of specific advanced glycation end-product. Their anti-glycative property is attributed to their anti-oxidant activity and trapping capacity of methylglyoxal. Given that these polysaccharides possess agar-like structures, they were used to prepare bioactive films and expectedly, transparent and homogeneous films were obtained. The films display high water barrier properties with retained antioxidant and anti-glycation activities as above. These results expand the current knowledge of G. amansii s polysaccharides as nutraceuticals and hydrocolloids, which would benefit their applications in the food industry.