Abstract
The sulfated exopolysaccharide p-KG03, which is produced by the marine microalga Gyrodinium impudicum strain KG03, exhibited impressive antiviral activity in vitro ($EC_{50}$ = 26.9 g/ml) against the encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV). Depending on the p-KG03 concentration, the development of cytopathic effects in EMCV-infected HeLa cells was either inhibited completely or slowed. Moreover, p-KG03 did not show any cytotoxic effects on HeLa cells, even at concentrations up to 1,000 g/ml. The polysaccharide was purified by repeated precipitation in ethanol, followed by gel filtration. The p-KG03 polysaccharide had a molecular weight of $1.87\;{\times}\;10^6$, and was characterized as a homopolysaccharide of galactose with uronic acid (2.96%, w/w) and sulfate groups (10.32% w/w). The biological activities of p-KG03 suggest that sulfated metabolites from marine organisms are a rich source of antiviral agents. This is the first reported marine source of antiviral sulfated polysaccharides against EMCV. The p-KG03 polysaccharide may be useful for the development of marine bioactive exopolysaccharides for use in biotechnological and pharmaceutical products.
Gyrodinium impudicum strain KG03의 세포외 다당류인 p-KG03은 황함유 다당류로 항바이러스 검색 결과, 조사대상 바이러스 중 특히 뇌심근 경색바이러스 (encephalomyocarditis virus; EMCV)에 항바이러스 활성을 가지는 것으로 조사되었다.
