Chemical in local red algae could enhance sperm motility: Lankan chemical biologist

A Sri Lanka chemical biologist has isolated a chemical substance which could enhance human sperm mobility or motility. The substance present in a marine red alga found off the coasts of Beruwela is the source of the chemical, according to reports.

The Sri Lankan biologist Dr. Sirimal Premakumara says that the chemical isolated from these red algae is being tested to assist childless couples enhance their fertility.

Dr. Pramakumara further says that if the opportunity is provided by any pharmaceutical institution this substance could be produced on a large scale and introduced to the market.

The Asian Journal of Andrology in a 2001 report states thus:

Human sperm motility stimulating activity of a sulfono glycolipid isolated from Sri Lankan marine red alga Gelidiella acerosa.

G.A.S. Premakumara, W.D.  Ratnasooriya, L.M.V. Tillekeratne, A.S. Amarasekare,  Atta-Ur-Rahman

Natural Products Development Group, Industrial Technology Institute (CISIR), Colombo  7, Sri Lanka.

Department of Zoology & Chemistry, University of Colombo, Colombo  03, Sri Lanka.

HEJ Research Institute of Chemistry, University of Karachi, Karachi 32, Pakistan.

Abstract

Aim: To evaluate the sperm motility stimulating activity of a sulfono glycolipid (S-ACT-1) isolated from Gelidiella acerosa, a Sri Lankan marine red algae. Methods: S-ACT-1, a white amorphous powder was separated from more polar fractions of the hexane soluble of 1:1 CH2Cl2/MeOH extract and subjected to 1H, 13C NMR and IR Spectroscopy after reverse phase HPLC for identification. Effects of S-ACT-1 on human sperm motility was assessed in vitro at 10, 100 and 1000 g/mL concentrations at 37 for 0, 5, 15, 30 and 60 min. Results: S-ACT-1 was identified as a glycolipid sulfate. The lower dose increased the sperm motility slightly, whilst the medium dose significantly increased the motility (P<0.05) from 5 min of incubation reaching a peak at 15 min and  the stimulant effect was sustained throughout the experimental period. Furthermore, the medium dose rendered 80% of the immotile viable sperm motile. In contrast, the highest dose impaired the sperm motility.  The sperm stimulating activity of S-ACT-1 was dose-dependent and had a bell-shaped dose response curve for all the 5 incubation periods. Conclusion: S-ACT-1 of Gelidiella acerosa is a Sulfono glycolipid. S-ACT-1 has a potent sperm motility stimulating activity in vitro and has the potential to be developed into a sperm stimulant.

In its introduction, the report states:

The potential of natural marine products for the development of bio-active agents is enormous. Red algae (Rodophyta), with over 555 genera is virtually an untapped resource for bio-active substances.  So far, we have reported several biological activities of different red algal extracts: the antihypertensive and antiimplantation activity of Gracilaria corticata, the gastroprotective activity of Jania sp and the contraceptive activity of Gelidiella acerosa.

In the course of bioassay guided fractionation of contraceptive substance from G. acerosa, we isolated a white amorphous solid (designated as S-ACT-1) from the more polar fractions of the hexane solubles.  As a part of our ongoing screening programme, we tested S-ACT-1 for its effect on human sperm motility in vitro.  This paper reports the isolation, partial characterization and human sperm motility stimulating activity of S-ACT-1 of Sri Lankan marine red alga G. acerosa.