Access to new anticoagulant by sulfation of pectin-like polysaccharides isolated from Opuntia ficus indica cladodes

Mohamed Aymen Chaouch (1) , Khaoula Mkhadmini Hammi (2) , Manel Dhahri (3) , Mohamed Ben Mansour (3) , Mounir Raoui Maaroufi (3) , Didier Le Cerf (4) , Hatem Majdoub (1)

1 LIMA - Laboratoire des Interfaces et Matériaux Avancés [Monastir]
2 LPAM - Laboratoire des plantes aromatiques et médicinales (Faculté des Sciences Mathématiques, Physiques et Naturelles, Tunis)
3 UM - Université de Monastir - University of Monastir
4 PBS - Polymères Biopolymères Surfaces

In order to develop new and low cost anticoagulants as potential heparin alternatives, sulfation of a pectin-like polysaccharide from Opuntia ficus indica cladodes using SO3-DMF complex was performed with a significant sulfate content (7%). FTIR and NMR assays indicated that the sulfation reaction had occurred. In addition, GC–MS analyses demonstrated that sulfation was carried out on the arabinose units of native polysaccharide. Moreover, Physico-chemical characterization indicated an evident decrease of the average molecular weight (Mw) and sugar rates after sulfation. Finally, anticoagulant assays demonstrated that the anticoagulant activity was significantly enhanced by the addition of sulfate groups. Thus, sulfated polysaccharides exhibited the most potent anticoagulant activity by prolonging activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) and thrombin time (TT).

Keywords: Opuntia ficus indica; Pectin; Sulfation; Anticoagulant activity

Domains: Chemical Sciences; Polymers; Chemical Sciences; Material chemistry

Mohamed Aymen Chaouch, Khaoula Mkhadmini Hammi, Manel Dhahri, Mohamed Ben Mansour, Mounir Raoui Maaroufi, et al.. Access to new anticoagulant by sulfation of pectin-like polysaccharides isolated from Opuntia ficus indica cladodes. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2018, 120, pp.1794 - 1800. ⟨10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2018.09.130⟩. ⟨hal-01889855⟩