Chemical profiling of edible seaweed (Ochrophyta) extracts and assessment of their in vitro effects on cell-free enzyme systems and on the viability of glutamate-injured SH-SY5Y cells

Neurodegenerative processes involve numerous and closely related events that ultimately culminate in neuronal cell injury. The aim of this study was (i) to assess, for the first time, the neuroprotective potential of acetone extracts of six edible species of Ochrophyta, by evaluating their cholinesterase and lipoxygenase inhibitory activity in cell-free assays, as well as their capacity to attenuate glutamate-induced toxicity in neuronal (SH-SY5Y) cells, and (ii) to try to relate the chemical composition of the extracts with their biological activity, evaluating also the effect of the main compounds thereof. In spite of a modest cholinesterase inhibition, a dose-dependent response towards lipoxygenase was found for all macroalgae extracts. At non-cytotoxic concentrations, the extracts from Fucus serratus Linnaeus and Saccharina latissima (Linnaeus) C.E. Lane, C. Mayes, Druehl & G.W. Saunders were able to improve the viability of glutamate-insulted SH-SY5Y cells. These results encourage further studies for a more detailed understanding of the mechanisms beyond the documented biological activities, and point to the potential interest of the selected seaweed species and their extracts as promising candidates for in vivo studies. © 2018 Elsevier

This work received financial support from National Funds ( FCT/MEC, Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia/Ministério da Educação e Ciência ) through project UID/QUI/50006/2013 , co-financed by European Union ( FEDER under the Partnership Agreement PT2020 ), from Norte Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) (projects NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000024 and NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000035 ). To all financing sources the authors are greatly indebted. Fátima Fernandes (SFRH/BPD/98732/2013) and Mariana Barbosa (SFRH/BD/95861/2013) thank FCT/MEC for the grants. Appendix A