Oil from hake (Merluccius merluccius): Characterization, antioxidant activity, wound healing and anti-inflammatory effects.

The aim of this work was to evaluate some biological properties of hake head oil (HHO) as well its lipid composition. The fatty acid profiles showed a dominance of unsaturated fatty acids overtaking 55% of the total fatty acids. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid profiles exhibited a dominance of EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) (3.96%) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) (25.39%). The antioxidant activity was determined through two different assays: DPPH scavenging activity and ß-carotene bleaching by linoleic acid assay. Eighteen mice were excised on their back and divided into 3 groups, treated with sterile saline, commercial healing cream and HHO, respectively. The wound closure rate, the hydroxyproline contents and the histopathology evolution in skin tissue were elaborated. Also, the anti-inflammatory activity was studied by carrageenan-induced mouse paw edema. Mice were divided into 3 groups treated respectively with sterile saline, anti inflammatory drug reference and HHO. The anti-inflammatory evaluation of HHO in mice exhibited an important inhibition of carrageenan-induced hind paws edema, as confirmed by the histological analysis, the superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and malondialdehyde (MDA) level. HHO displayed a significant wound healing effect probably due to the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities of its EPA and DHA contents. The overall results proved that HHO might be favorable drugs who exert a great therapeutic potential wound healing and anti-inflammatory effects in animal model.

Extraction, characterization and antimicrobial activity of sulfated polysaccharides from fish skins.

Sulfated polysaccharides were extracted from gray triggerfish (GTSP) and smooth hound (SHSP) skins. Their chemical and physical characteristics were determined using X-ray diffraction and Infrared spectroscopic analysis. The antibacterial activities of GTSP and SHSP against Listeria monocytogenes (ATCC 43251), Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923), Enterococcus faecalis (ATCC 29212), Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), Salmonella enterica (ATCC 43972) and Enterobacter sp were evaluated by determining clear growth inhibition zone diameters and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values and by essays in liquid media. GTSP and SHSP were fractionated by a Diethylaminoethyl-cellulose chromatography. Fraction FGII, from GTSP, and fraction FSII, from SHSP, showed the most important inhibitory effects against the tested bacterial species. The sulfated polysaccharides from fish skins did not show hemolytic activity towards bovine erythrocytes. Overall, the results suggested that those polysaccharides could offer promising sources of polysaccharides for future application as dietary ingredients in the nutraceutical industry.

Sulfated polysaccharides from Loligo vulgaris skin: potential biological activities and partial purification.

The characteristics, biological properties, and purification of sulfated polysaccharides extracted from squid (Loligo vulgaris) skin were investigated. Their chemical and physical characteristics were determined using X-ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopic analysis. Sulfated polysaccharides from squid skin (SPSS) contained 85.06% sugar, 2.54% protein, 1.87% ash, 8.07% sulfate, and 1.72% uronic acid. The antioxidant properties of SPSS were investigated based on DPPH radical-scavenging capacity (IC50 = 19.42 mg mL(-1)), hydrogen peroxide-scavenging activity (IC50 = 0.91 mg mL(-1)), and ß-carotene bleaching inhibition (IC50 = 2.79 mg mL(-1)) assays. ACE-inhibitory activity of SPSS was also investigated (IC50 = 0.14 mg mL(-1)). Further antimicrobial activity assays indicated that SPSS exhibited marked inhibitory activity against the bacterial and fungal strains tested. Those polysaccharides did not display hemolytic activity towards bovine erythrocytes. Fractionation by DEAE-cellulose column chromatography showed three major absorbance peaks. Results of this study suggest that sulfated polysaccharides from squid skin are attractive sources of polysaccharides and promising candidates for future application as dietary ingredients.