Avaliação do potencial osteogênico de amostras ricas em polissacarídeos sulfatados da alga Caulerpa cupressoides var. flabellata em células-tronco estromais humanas

Abstract

Algae play an important role in ecology and have significant economic and biotechnological relevance, being used in food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. Their sulfated polysaccharides (PSs) possess therapeutic properties, such as antioxidant, anticancer, and differentiative actions, and can be applied in cell therapies. Stromal stem cells, promising in regenerative medicine, can be differentiated with the help of PSs, offering possibilities for the treatment of bone diseases and other conditions, focusing on tissue regeneration. This study evaluated the osteogenic differentiation potential of PSs extracted from the green alga Caulerpa cupressoides var. flabellata in Wharton’s jelly-derived stromal stem cells (WJSCs). The chemical characterization of the samples was performed, focusing on sugars, sulfates, proteins, and phenolic compounds. Chemical analysis revealed a higher sulfate-to-total-sugar ratio in the total crude extract (TCE) and in fractions F0.3 and F0.5. The immunophenotypic characterization and differentiation tests confirmed the isolation of WJSCs. The osteogenic potential of the PS-rich samples was evaluated by analyzing the production of mineralized extracellular matrix in WJSCs exposed to two concentrations of the samples in basal and osteogenic medium. In basal medium, the results were inconclusive and will need to be repeated. However, in osteogenic medium, the samples increased calcium deposition in the extracellular matrix, suggesting a synergistic action of osteogenic agents and PSs from the alga C. cupressoides var. flabellata.