Pharmacological Properties of Seaweeds against Progressive Lifestyle Diseases

Abstract

Seaweeds are consumed as staple food items in the cuisines of many Asian countries and are considered as essential components of a healthy diet. The pharmacological potential of ethyl acetate-methanol (EtOAc-MeOH) extract of 10 species of seaweeds belonging to the subclasses Dictyotophycidae, Rhodymeniophycidae, and Corallinophycidae against progressive lifestyle diseaseswas determined by various in vitro models. Among the studied species, the organic extracts of Gracilaria salicornia and Padina tetrastromatica exhibited potential dipeptidyl-peptidase-4 inhibiting activity (IC50 ~ 0.03 mg mL−1) and angiotensin converting enzyme-I inhibitory property (ACE-I) (IC50 0.12 mg mL−1) compared to those displayed by other studied species. The organic extracts of G. salicornia and P. tetrastromatica also displayed significantly greater attenuation properties against pro-inflammatory cyclooxygenase-2 and 5-lipoxygenase (IC50 0.98–1.34 mg mL−1, P < .05) compared to those derived from other species (IC50 1.99–5.02 mg mL−1). The nuclear magnetic resonance-guided dereplication of organic extracts of the studied seaweed species recognized the co-linearity between the bioactive potential and downfield electronegative functionalities. These results recognized the significance of the organic extracts of G. salicornia and P. tetrastromatica to isolate compounds for functional food applications against oxidative stress and induced diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension, and inflammation.