Sulfated Seaweed Polysaccharides as Antiviral Agents

Abstract

Several sulfated seaweed polysaccharides show high antiviral activity against enveloped viruses, including important human pathogens such as human immunodeficiency virus, herpes simplex virus, human cytomegalovirus, dengue virus and respiratory syncytial virus. They can be obtained in major amounts and at low costs, have low toxicity and in some cases, lack anticoagulant effects. Even if the systemic applications have many drawbacks, their structure and mode of action indicate potential for topical uses to prevent virus infection. The herpes simplex viruses attach to cells by an interaction between the envelope glycoprotein C and the cell surface heparan sulfate (HS). The virus-cell complex is formed by ionic interactions between the anionic (mainly sulfate) groups in the polysaccharide and basic amino acids of the glycoprotein, and non-ionic ones depending on hydrophobic amino acids interspersed between the basic ones in the glycoprotein-binding zone. Hypothesis are advanced of the corresponding hydrophobic structures in the polysaccharides. The antiviral activity of the sulfated seaweed polysaccharides is based on the formation of formally similar complexes that block the interaction of the viruses with the cells. Correlations are established between different structural parameters and antiviral activity. The minimal, ionic and hydrophobic, structures in the seaweed polysaccharides were hypothesized by comparison of the polysaccharides with the known minimal binding structure in HS/heparin, together with a correlation between those structures of the polysaccharides and their antiviral activity.

Anionic Polysaccharides From Phototrophic Microorganisms Exhibit Antiviral Activities to Vaccinia Virus

“…Anionic polysaccharides derived from phototrophic microorganisms represent a novel substance group featuring various antiviral activities [7,34]. Here we demonstrated the antiviral activities of two sulphur-containing anionic exopolysaccharides from cyanobacterium A. platensis (TK V3) and from rhodophyt P. purpureum (EPS) against the OPV VACV and ECTV.So far, there have been few reports of anti-OPV polyanionic activities derived from phototrophic microorganisms [8,35].…”

Properties of polysaccharides in several seaweeds from Atlantic Canada and their potential anti-influenza viral activities

“…virus activities, many groups reported that sulfated galactans from red seaweeds and ulvan from green seaweeds possessed inhibitory activities against HSV, HCMV, and HIV (Baba, Snoeck et al 1988;Mazumder, Ghosal et al 2002;Damonte, Matulewicz et al 2004). The current observations proved that certain algal polysaccharides could be applied as anti-virus agents.…”

“…The anti-virus properties of algal polysaccharides have generated great interest with activities reported against a wide range of viruses including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (Baba, Snoeck et al 1988), herpes simplex virus (HSV) (Hasui, Matsuda et al 1995), human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) (Damonte, Matulewicz et al 2004), vesicular stomatitis virus (Baba, Snoeck et al 1988), papilloma virus (Pérez-Andino, Buck et al 2009) and influenza A virus (Leibbrandt, Meier et al 2010 Adamantane-based anti-virus compounds such as amantadine and rimantadine have serious side-effects on gastrointestinal and nervous system (Jefferson, Demicheli et al 2006). Using oseltamivir, a viral neuraminidase inhibitor, to treat influenza (von Itzstein 2007) is being confounded by the rise of resistant H1N1 influenza strains and emerging resistant influenza A seasonal strains (Bantia, Parker et al 2001;Matheson, Harnden et al 2008;Shun-Shin, Thompson et al 2009).…”

Preparation and antiherpetic activities of chemically modified polysaccharides from Polygonatum cyrtonema Hua

“…In particular, the antiviral effect of polysaccharides against the herpes simplex virus (HSV) has been reported (Arad, Ginsberg, & Huleihel, 2006;Damonte, Matulewicz, & Cerezo, 2004;Karmakar, Pujol, Damonte, Tuhin Ghosh, & Ray, 2010;Luescher-Mattli, 2003;Pujol, Carlucci, Matulewicz, & Damonte, 2007) and some of these polysaccharides are currently undergoing either preclinical or clinical evaluation (Kleymann, 2005;McReynolds & Garvey-Hague, 2007). Unlike the widely used acyclovir (ACV)-related nucleoside analogues, which all targeted against viral DNA synthesis, polysaccharides interfere with the attachment of virus to host cell surface by binding to viral envelope glycoprotein (Damonte et al, 2004;Duarte et al, 2001;Neyts et al, 1992;Witvrouw & De Clercq, 1997). In contrast with ACV, which may result in some undesirable complications (Richman et al, 1987) and also induce the emergence of drugresistant viruses (Coen, 1991;Larder, Darby, & Richman, 1989) after prolonged treatment in immunocompromised patients, polysaccharides have the relatively low mammalian toxicity and the novel * Corresponding author.…”