Extraction and Characterization of Fucoidan Derived from Sargassum ilicifolium and Its Biomedical Potential with In Silico Molecular Docking

Fucoidan, a polymer derived from seaweed, poses a broad range of biological applications, and its potential medicinal benefits have been widely studied over the past decade. In this study, fucoidan was extracted from marine macroalga Sargassum ilicifolium and its bioactive potential for in silico molecular docking was investigated. Additionally, the computational in silico docking studies were applied on the fucoidan against anticancer and antioxidant target proteins by using Glide ligand docking, Schrodinger software. The FT-IR analysis revealed that fucoidan mainly consisted of the fucose residues (59.1%) and a few monosaccharides, such as uronic acid (11.7%) and sulphate (18.3%). The in vitro tests revealed that fucoidan possessed various antioxidative properties and anticoagulant activities. Fucoidans played an inhibitory role in the colony formation of HepG2 cells. The NADPH oxidase (-7.169 Kcal/mol) and cellular tumor antigen p53 protein (-6.205 Kcal/mol) exhibited the highest antioxidant and anticancer proteins, respectively. Overall, the present study results provide a theoretical foundation for broadening the application of fucoidan from S. ilicifolium as a pharmaceutical ingredient.

Automated summary

Fucoidan extracted from seaweed was tested for its bioactive properties. It showed antioxidative and anticoagulant activities, and inhibited colony formation of liver cancer cells. Computational in silico docking studies revealed that fucoidan has binding capabilities with various anticancer and antioxidant proteins.