Marine algae Cystoseira indica extracted alginate alleviates toxicity and inflammation pathways in Osteoarthritis induced rat model

Helal, Mohamed; El-Sekaily, Amany; Shetewy, Mohamed; Soliman, Hoda; Elnemr, Abdallah; Ghonim, Hossam; El-Sedfy, Amal; Saad, Aziza; Hassan, Jihan

doi:10.21608/jcbr.2025.353492.1382

Marine algae Cystoseira indica extracted alginate alleviates toxicity and inflammation pathways in Osteoarthritis induced rat model

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries (NIOF), Cairo, Egypt Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, 5230, Denmark

² National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries (NIOF), Cairo, Egypt

³ Applied Medical Chemistry, Medical Research Institute, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt

⁴ Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria 21526, Egypt

⁵ Department of Immunology, Medical Research Institute, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt

⁶ Department of Pathology, Medical Research Institute, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt

10.21608/jcbr.2025.353492.1382

Abstract

Background: Brown algae are known for synthesizing bioac-tive compounds with anti-inflammatory properties, which have shown potential in addressing inflammation-related disorders. Osteoarthritis (OA), a joint disease characterized by significant inflammation, negatively impacts overall health and quality of life. Aim:

This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic potential of algi-nate extracted from the brown algae Cystoseira indica in miti-gating OA using a rat model. Materials & Methods: OA was induced in rats through intra-articular administration of mono-sodium iodoacetate (MIA). The experimental design included a control group, an MIA-induced OA group, and an alginate-treated group (MIA + alginate). Samples were collected at in-tervals of 2, 4, 6, and 10 weeks to assess pro-inflammatory cy-tokine levels, biochemical markers, and histopathological changes in knee cartilage. Results

OA induction led to a significant increase in pro-inflammatory and oxidative stress markers, including malondialdehyde (MDA), interleukin 1-beta (IL1β), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), beta-glucuronidase (β-G), acid phosphatase (ACP), and aggrecanase 1, alongside a marked reduction in glutathi-one (GSH) levels. Alginate treatment significantly mitigated OA progression, as evidenced by reduced levels of MDA, IL1β, TNF-α, β-G, ADAMTS4, and matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3), coupled with increased GSH levels and improved cartilage recovery and regeneration. Conclusion

Alginate from C. indica demonstrates significant potential in mitigating OA through its anti-inflammatory effects, highlight-ing its promise as a therapeutic agent for inflammation-related joint disorders.

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