An efficient method for the degradation of polysaccharides isolated from Sargassum fusiforme (PSF) was developed by using ascorbic acid in combination with H2O2. The degradation conditions were optimized using a Box-Behnken response surface design (BBRS). The optimum conditions were established as: concentration of ascorbic acid (VC) and H2O2 17.26mM, degradation temperature 51°C and degradation time 1.6h. The DPPH radical scavenging rate of the degraded polysaccharides from S. fusiforme (DPSF) obtained under the optimal conditions was determined to be 75.22±0.02%, which was well matched with the value (75.21%) predicted by the BBRS model. In vitro antioxidant activity of the polysaccharides was evaluated by determining their radical (hydroxyl radical, superoxide anion radical and DPPH radical) scavenging abilities, and ferric iron reducing power. The inhibitory activity on tyrosinase of DPSF was also evaluated. The results indicate that the degraded polysaccharide has superior antioxidant activity and anti-tyrosinase effect to those of the original polysaccharide.

In order to improve the antioxidant and antimicrobial abilities, hydroxamated degraded polysaccharides from Enteromorpha prolifera (HCDPE) were prepared from the corresponding carboxymethylated degraded polysaccharides (CDPE). HCDPE was characterized by FT-IR. The weight-average molecular weight of HCDPE was determined as 55.4kDa. The in vitro antioxidant activity of HCDPE was evaluated by determining the radical (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), hydroxyl and superoxide anion radicals) scavenging abilities and total antioxidant activity. It was found that DPPH radical scavenging ability and total antioxidant activity of HCDPE were significantly improved compared to those of CDPE. The inhibitory effects of polysaccharides against the five bacterial strains (Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella spp.) were also evaluated by bacterial inhibition zone and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assays. The results indicated that CDPE and HCDPE possess marked antimicrobial ability, while such an effect was not observed for the crude polysaccharides (PE) and the degraded polysaccharides (DPE).