IN VITRO EVALUATION OF ANTIOXIDANT ACTION OF CHONDROITIN SULFATE FROM THE GILLS OF Prochilodus brevis

Prochilodus brevis is a Brazilian rheophilic fish of local market, but its bioactive glycosaminoglycans (PbGAGs) composition is unknown. This study analyzed PbGAGs from gills on yield, physical-chemical features and in vitro antioxidant effects. Tritured gills were incubated with papain, in 100 mM sodium acetate buffer (pH 5)+cysteine/EDTA, both 5 mM, to obtain PbGAGs. After extraction, PbGAGs were characterized by agarose/polyacrylamide gels electrophoreses using known markers stained in toluidine blue or Stains-All and then by infrared technique. Antioxidant actions were in vitro evaluated by DPPH, total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and ferrous ion chelanging (FIC) assays using BHT, ascorbic acid and EDTA as references. Extraction yielded 1.54±0.02% and biochemical analyses indicated chondroitin-4/6-sulfate similar to mammalian derived of sulfation pattern and size of ~ 40 kDa. PbGAGs had no effect on DPPH assay, but exerced antioxidation greater in FIC than TAC one, alghough significantly less actives than synthetic agents. Thus, gills from P. brevis are a freshwater source containing antioxidant chondroitin sulfate.