STUDIES ON THE ANTI ARTHRITIC ACTIVITY OF SELECTED SPECIES OF SEAWEEDS Sargassum ilicifolium Turner C Agardh AND Gelidiella acerosa Forsskal Borgesen FROM GULF OF MANNAR

Abstract

Seaweeds have been used as food fodder fertilizer and as source of medicine The seaweeds from Gulf of mannar have been less explored for antiarthritic activity The red algae Gelidiella acerosa and brown algae Sargassum ilicifolium selected for this study have been reported to have bioactive principles The crude sulphated polysaccharide isolated from Sargassum ilicifolium against Complete Freunds adjuvant induced arthritis was carried out in Sprague Dawley rats The results revealed that the low dose of crude sulphated polysaccharide 5mg per kg significantly inhibited proinflammatory cytokines like TNF IL2 and CD4 cells and expressed antiinflammatory cytokine TGF than the high dose 10mg per kg It can be concluded that 5 mg per kg of crude fucose containing sulphated polysaccharide from marine brown algae Sargassum ilicifolium is an effective anti arthritic drug mediating its effect through cytokine pathway and this is the first ever report from this Seaweed species from Gulf of Mannar newline