Abstract:Studies have shown that porphyran extracted from the red algae Porphyra haitanesis has a potential antioxidant activity. The effect of porphyran and its sulfate derivatives on cyclophosphamide (CP)- and mitomycin C (MMC)-induced changes in micronucleus rate, mitotic index, chromosome aberration rate, and lipid peroxidation in Allium sativum root cells was investigated. The results indicated that the polysaccharide significantly inhibited the micronucleus rate and chromosomal aberration rate, and significantly enhanced the mitotic index in a dose dependent manner. The polysaccharide exhibited the highest inhibitory and enhancing effects at 100 mg/L concentration. Additionally, the sulfate derivative exhibited superior resistance towards lipid peroxidation in cells compared to that exhibited by the unmodified polysaccharide. The analysis reveals that the anti-carcinogenic effect of porphyran has a definite relationship with anti-lipid peroxidation activity, and shows that the sulfate group has an indirect effect on anti-carcinogenic activity. The results showed that porphyran has an anti-carcinogenic potential.
