Abstract 1935 Sulphated Polysaccharides from Ecklonia maxima Mitigates H2O2 -Provoked Red Blood Cells Oxidation via Modulation of Redox Imbalance, Purinergic and Carbohydrate Metabolic Activities

Oxidative stress causes damage to the red blood cells (RBCs) leading to alteration of its membrane potential and oxygen transportation. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) has been implicated as the most potent oxidant of the RBCs as it cannot be neutralized by the latter's antioxidant system. The present study investigated the ability of sulphated polysaccharides from Ecklonia maxima (EM) to protect against H2O2 oxidation of red blood cells in vitro. RBCs were obtained from blood harvested from normal albino rats by separating the plasma and washing with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). After washing, RBCs were incubated in PBS (1:20) with different concentrations of EM and 5mM H2O2 at 37°C for 30 min. Negative control consisted of incubation without extract or control drug, while normal control consisted of RBCs only. Trolox served as the standard drug. Biochemical analyses of the negative control revealed depleted glutathione level, SOD and catalase activities, while concomitantly elevating ATPase, ENTPDase, glucose 6-phosphatase, fructose-1,6-biphosphatase and glycogen phosphorylase activities, and malondialdehyde level compared to the normal control. These activities and levels were reversed to near normal in EM-incubated samples and compared significantly with the standard drug. These results indicate the potential of EM to mitigate H2O2 oxidation of RBCs as depicted by its ability to suppress oxidative stress, improve purinergic activities and glucogenesis. This study was supported by a grant from Technology Innovation Agency (TIA), Durban, South Africa (Grant no. SABDI 16/1072).