Structural characterization and Biological Activity of Sulfolipids from selected Marine Algae

Abstract

The sulfolipid classes (SLs) in the total lipids of five species of marine algae, two species of Rhodophyta (Laurencia popillose, Galaxoura cylindriea), one species of Chlorophyta (Ulva fasciata), and two species of Phaeophyta (Dilophys fasciola, Taonia atomaria) were separated and purified on DEAE-cellulose column chromatography. The SLs component was identified by IR, gas chromatography MS/MS and liquid chromatography MS/MS. The level of SLs contents va ried from 1.25% (in L. papillose) to 11.82% (in D. fasciola) of the total lipid contents. However, no significant differences in sulfate content (0.13 – 0.21%) were observed among all these algae species. All SLs were characterized by high contents of palmitic acid (C 16:0), which ranged from 30.91% in G. cylindriea to 63.11% in T. atomatia. The main constitutes of algal sulfolipids were identified as sulfoquinovosyl-di-acylglycerol and sulfoquinovosyl acylglycerol. The sulfolipids of different algal species exhibited remarkable antiviral activity against herps simplex virus type 1 (HSV^-1) with an IC50 ranging from 18.75 to 70. 2 μg mL^–1. Moreover, algal sulfolipid inhibited the growth of the tumor cells of breast and liver human cancer cells with IC50 values ranging from 0.40 to 0.67 μg mL^–1 for human breast adenocarcinoma cells (MCF7).