Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Marine Red Algae through Dual Inhibition of Cyclooxygenase-2 and 5-Lipoxygenase

In the present study, two marine brown algae namely Sargassum vulgare, Sargassum longifolium and red algae Gracilaria cearensis were screened for their anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant activity. The anti-inflammatory activity of algal samples was measured through the inhibition of haemolysis induced by heat and hyposaline. DPPH radical scavenging assay and hydrogen peroxide scavenging assay were adopted to detect the anti-oxidant potential of algal samples. Among the three marine algae, G.cearensis exhibited potential anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant activity. GC-MS analysis was followed to capture the phytochemical picture of G.cearensis. The detected bioactive ligands were docked with inflammatory proteins such as COX-2, 5-LOX, mPGES-1, iNOS, TNF-α and NF-κB using Maestro 13.0 module of Schrodinger. The standard diclofenac exhibited docking affinity of -3.597 kcal/mol and -2.262 kcal/mol with the protein receptors COX-2 and 5-LOX respectively. While among all the bioactive compounds, 4-methyl-3-heptanone (dialkyl ketone) showed the highest docking energy of -6.608 kcal/mol and -4.205 kcal/mol with COX-2 and 5-LOX receptors respectively. Overall the bioactive ligands namely beta-sitosterol acetate, 4-methyl-3-heptanone, diacetone alcohol and 1-allyl-1,2-cyclohexanediol demonstrated potential binding affinity with the inflammatory markers. Thus the results state that Gracilaria cearensis exhibit dual inhibition against COX-2 and 5-LOX and can be used to develop novel anti-inflammatory drugs.