Bioactivity of Phycocolloids against the Mediterranean Protozoan Leishmania infantum: An Inceptive Study

Simona Armeli Minicante, Silvia Michelet, Federica Bruno, Germano Castelli, Fabrizio Vitale, Adriano Sfriso, Marina Morabito and Giuseppa Genovese
Additional contact information
Simona Armeli Minicante: CNR-ISMAR, Institute of Marine Sciences, Arsenale 101-104, Castello 2737F, 30122 Venice, Italy
Silvia Michelet: Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, University Ca’ Foscari Venice, Dorsoduro 2137, 30123 Venice, Italy
Federica Bruno: Centro di Referenza Nazionale per le Leishmaniosi (C.Re.Na.L.), Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia, Viale Gino Marinuzzi 3, 90129 Palermo, Italy
Germano Castelli: Centro di Referenza Nazionale per le Leishmaniosi (C.Re.Na.L.), Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia, Viale Gino Marinuzzi 3, 90129 Palermo, Italy
Fabrizio Vitale: Centro di Referenza Nazionale per le Leishmaniosi (C.Re.Na.L.), Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia, Viale Gino Marinuzzi 3, 90129 Palermo, Italy
Adriano Sfriso: Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, University Ca’ Foscari Venice, Dorsoduro 2137, 30123 Venice, Italy
Marina Morabito: Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences (Botany), University of Messina, Salita Sperone 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
Giuseppa Genovese: Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences (Botany), University of Messina, Salita Sperone 31, 98166 Messina, Italy

Sustainability, 2016, vol. 8, issue 11, 1-9

Abstract: Sulfated polysaccharides from marine macroalgae have been shown to possess a variety of biological activities against fungi, bacteria, viruses, and protozoa. In this study, the in vitro activity of algal polysaccharides against Leishmania infantum (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatidae) was investigated. The polysaccharides were extracted from different macroalgae of the Mediterranean Sea: Chaetomorpha linum , Agardhiella subulata , Gracilaria viridis , Gracilaria bursa-pastoris , Hypnea cornuta , Sargassum muticum , and Undaria pinnatifida . Preliminary results showed a good anti-leishmanial activity of the investigated species, encouraging the focus on their use as natural resources in order to match integrated management strategies for the employment of local macroalgae.

Keywords: seaweeds; phycocolloids; Leishmania infantum (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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