Relationship evaluation of molecular weight and antioxidant and alpha amylase inhibition properties of fucoidan and alginate from brown seaweed Padina pavonica in comparison with polysaccharides from Flixweed and Fennel

Polysaccharides possess diverse biological properties due to complexity of chemical structure and heterogeneity of molecular weight which could be improved through engineering approaches and chemical modifications. The objective of the present study was to determine the antioxidant and anti-diabetic effects of marine and land originated polysaccharides and explore the correlation between molecular weight and biological activities. Hence, four polysaccharides with varying size distribution and average molecular weight including fucoidan and alginate from brown seaweed Padina pavonica and polysaccharides from Flixweed (Descurainia sophia) and Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) were subjected to hydrolysis in three levels using 0.05N hydrochloric acid at 100 C for 5, 10 and 20 minutes.  The average molecular weight ranged between 2059.5-3781.8 in fucoidan, 1774.4-2324.9 in alginate, 720.4-1373.8 in Flixweed and 5752.6-14077.5 × 103 g/mol in Fennel. The relation between molecular weight reduction and α-amylase activity inhibition was decreasing in fucoidan (52.1-32.8%) and alginate (67.6-32.2%) and increasing in Fennel (61.2-45.0%). Reduction of molecular weight enhanced the DPPH radical scavenging and ferric reducing power of fucoidan (47.9-27.8%; 0.47-0.37 Abs) and Fennel (39.0-12.7%; 0.34-0.16 Abs). The effect of molecular weight reduction was limited on antioxidant activities of alginate and Flixweed. Overall, the findings of the current study revealed that molecular weight is a determinant factor affecting bioactivities of the tested polysaccharides and thus their applications as ingredients having anti-diabetic and antioxidant functions could be possible in their native and/or hydrolyzed forms.