The jellyfish Cassiopea andromeda (Forsskål, 1775) is a Lessepsian migrant species now established in the Mediterranean. Because jellyfish-derived polysaccharides are gaining attention for their potential bioactive properties [1], this study focuses on polysaccharides isolation and purification of C. andromeda to evaluate their antioxidant properties and immunostimulatory activity. Extraction was performed from the umbrella using alcohol precipitation, followed by purification with DEAE Sepharose Fast Flow chromatography, obtaining an acidic and a neutral fraction [2].

The total yield of crude extract was 5.13 mg/g dry weight, with a protein content lower than 1 µg. Antioxidant activity, assessed through the DPPH assay, revealed that the acidic fraction exhibited 37.8% activity, whereas the neutral fraction showed no effect. Immunostimulatory potential was evaluated on RAW 264.7 macrophages, analyzing the nitrite production and expression of inflammation-related genes (iNOS, COX-2, TNF) via qPCR. Both fractions induced gene expression in a concentration-dependent manner; however, the acidic fraction displayed a tenfold higher activity than the neutral one (Fig.1).

These findings suggest that C. andromeda-derived polysaccharides, particularly the acidic fraction, possess significant immunomodulatory properties, highlighting their potential application as natural bioactive compounds in pharmaceutical and nutraceutical fields.

References

[1] Choi B.D., Choi Y.J. Nutraceutical functionalities of polysaccharides from marine invertebrates. Advances in food and nutrition research. 1; 65:11-30, 2012, doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-416003-3.00002-0.

[2] Migone C., Scacciati N., Grassiri B., De Leo M., Braca A., Puppi D., Zambito Y., Piras AM. Jellyfish polysaccharides for wound healing applications. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 29;23(19):11491,2022, doi.org/10.3390/ijms231911491