JOURNAL of the Tunisian Chemical Society

In this study, polysaccharides were extracted from ray (Raja montagui) skin and screened for their anticoagulant and antioxidant activities. The crude polysaccharide was obtained from the ray skin by enzymatic digestion (papain) followed by several purification steps (precipitation, dialysis…). Physico-chemical characterization revealed two negatively charged populations having different molecular weights, with the occurrence of acetylated hexosamines and uronic acids. Then, the analysis of the crude polysaccharide by anion exchangechromatography led to a highly sulfated fraction (25%) and an unsulfated fraction attributed to dermatan sulfate and hyaluronic acid, respectively. Preliminary tests of antioxidant and anticoagulant activities indicated that the unsulfated fraction exhibited a significant antioxidant potential at high concentrations, while the sulfated fraction showed an important prolongation (concentration dependent) of clotting time. Overall, obtained data suggests that Raja montagui skin is a good source of bioactive sulfated and unsulfated polysaccharides which could be exploited in wide range of biotechnological applications.

J. Hayder, M.A. Chaouch, M. Ben Mansour, J. Hafsa, H. Majdoub, R.M. Maaroufi

Raja montagui, polysaccharide, dermatan sulfate, antioxidant activity, anticoagulant activity

Pages 312-319