Bioactive Sulfated Polysaccharides from Green Algae Codium tomentosum Stackhouse, 1797: Structural Characterization and Therapeutic Potential

Benhniya, Bouchra; Karmil, Fatima Zahra; El Maliki, Soukaina; EL Hasbaoui, Noureddine; Lakhdar, Fatima; Marty, Christel; Boutolleau, David; Bourgougnon, Nathalie; Etahiri, Samira

doi:10.3390/ijms27114848

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Bioactive Sulfated Polysaccharides from Green Algae Codium tomentosum Stackhouse, 1797: Structural Characterization and Therapeutic Potential

by

Bouchra Benhniya

^1,*,

Fatima Zahra Karmil

²,

Soukaina El Maliki

¹,

Noureddine EL Hasbaoui

³,

Fatima Lakhdar

¹

,

Christel Marty

⁴,

David Boutolleau

⁵,

Nathalie Bourgougnon

⁴

and

Samira Etahiri

¹

Laboratory of Marine Biotechnologies and Environment, Faculty of Sciences, Chouaib Doukkali University, BP 20, El Jadida 24000, Morocco

²

Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Materials, Department of Chemistry, University Chouaïb Doukkali, BP 20, El Jadida 24000, Morocco

³

Coordination and Analytical Chemistry Laboratory (LCCA), Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Chouaïb Doukkali University, BP 20, El Jadida 24000, Morocco

⁴

EMR CNRS, LBCM, IUEM, Université Bretagne Sud, 56000 Vannes, France

⁵

INSERM, Virology Department, Sorbonne Public Health Institute, AP-HP, Hôpitaux Universitaires Pitié—Charles Foix, National Reference Centre for Herpesviruses, Sorbonne Université, 75013 Paris, France

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2026, 27(11), 4848; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27114848

Submission received: 2 May 2026 / Revised: 22 May 2026 / Accepted: 24 May 2026 / Published: 27 May 2026

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biological Activities and Applications of Marine Algae)

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Abstract

Marine seaweeds are recognized as a rich source of structurally diverse bioactive compounds, particularly sulfated polysaccharides with promising biomedical applications. In the present study, a sulfated polysaccharide Codium tomentosum fraction (PSCT) was extracted from the Moroccan green seaweed Codium tomentosum and subjected to comprehensive chemical, structural, and biological characterization. The extraction yield reached 22.01%, and the polysaccharide fraction was mainly composed of neutral sugars (66.84%), along with significant levels of sulfate groups (8.73%) and uronic acids (4.13%). Monosaccharide analysis revealed a predominance of galactose and arabinose, indicating a complex heteropolysaccharide structure. Spectroscopic and morphological analyses (FTIR, XRD, UV–Vis, and SEM–EDS) suggested predominantly amorphous characteristics and confirmed the sulfated profile of the extract. Biological evaluation demonstrated that PSCT exhibits multifunctional bioactivities. The extract showed notable antiviral activity against Herpes Simplex Virus 1 (HSV1), with an EC₅₀ value of 12.22 ± 2.90 µg/mL and no detectable cytotoxicity (CC₅₀ > 200.00 µg/mL). In addition, PSCT displayed strong antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Candida albicans, with remarkably low MIC values ranging from 0.05 to 0.78 mg/mL. Furthermore, antioxidant assays revealed concentration-dependent activity, with up to 68% DPPH radical scavenging and an IC₅₀ of 1.25 mg/mL, indicating a moderate antioxidant potential, along with notable reducing power in the FRAP assay. Overall, these findings highlight the potential of C. tomentosum-derived polysaccharides as multifunctional natural agents with antiviral, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties, supporting their prospective application in pharmaceutical and biomedical fields.

Keywords: Codium tomentosum; sulfated polysaccharides; antiviral activity; HSV1; antioxidant activity; antimicrobial activity; marine seaweed; bioactive compounds

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MDPI and ACS Style

Benhniya, B.; Karmil, F.Z.; El Maliki, S.; EL Hasbaoui, N.; Lakhdar, F.; Marty, C.; Boutolleau, D.; Bourgougnon, N.; Etahiri, S. Bioactive Sulfated Polysaccharides from Green Algae Codium tomentosum Stackhouse, 1797: Structural Characterization and Therapeutic Potential. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2026, 27, 4848. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27114848

AMA Style

Benhniya B, Karmil FZ, El Maliki S, EL Hasbaoui N, Lakhdar F, Marty C, Boutolleau D, Bourgougnon N, Etahiri S. Bioactive Sulfated Polysaccharides from Green Algae Codium tomentosum Stackhouse, 1797: Structural Characterization and Therapeutic Potential. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2026; 27(11):4848. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27114848

Chicago/Turabian Style

Benhniya, Bouchra, Fatima Zahra Karmil, Soukaina El Maliki, Noureddine EL Hasbaoui, Fatima Lakhdar, Christel Marty, David Boutolleau, Nathalie Bourgougnon, and Samira Etahiri. 2026. "Bioactive Sulfated Polysaccharides from Green Algae Codium tomentosum Stackhouse, 1797: Structural Characterization and Therapeutic Potential" International Journal of Molecular Sciences 27, no. 11: 4848. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27114848

APA Style

Benhniya, B., Karmil, F. Z., El Maliki, S., EL Hasbaoui, N., Lakhdar, F., Marty, C., Boutolleau, D., Bourgougnon, N., & Etahiri, S. (2026). Bioactive Sulfated Polysaccharides from Green Algae Codium tomentosum Stackhouse, 1797: Structural Characterization and Therapeutic Potential. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 27(11), 4848. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27114848

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Bioactive Sulfated Polysaccharides from Green Algae Codium tomentosum Stackhouse, 1797: Structural Characterization and Therapeutic Potential

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