Banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO: JOYCE ESTEFANE DOS SANTOS CLEMENTE DE OLIVEIRA

Uma banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO de MESTRADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : JOYCE ESTEFANE DOS SANTOS CLEMENTE DE OLIVEIRA
DATE: 26/10/2026
TIME: 09:00
LOCAL: Sala Carl Peter von Dietrich - DBQ/CB
TITLE:

Caulerpa cupressoides VAR. flabellata AS A SOURCE OF SULFATED POLYSACCHARIDES WITH OSTEOGENIC POTENTIAL

KEY WORDS:

green alga; mesenchymal stromal cells; osteogenesis; Wharton’s jelly; zebrafish.

PAGES: 80
BIG AREA: Ciências Biológicas
AREA: Bioquímica
SUMMARY:

Osteoporosis and the need to regenerate extensive bone defects call for new biomaterials able to support bone repair without the adverse effects of conventional therapies. In this context, sulfated polysaccharides (SPs) from marine macroalgae have emerged as promising candidates for regenerative medicine, although the osteogenic potential of SPs from green algae remains poorly explored. This study aimed to obtain and chemically characterize SP-rich samples from the green alga Caulerpa cupressoides var. flabellata and to evaluate the osteogenic potential of one of them, FC0.5, in human Wharton’s jelly mesenchymal stromal cells (hWJ-MSCs) and in zebrafish (Danio rerio). Proteolytic digestion of the alga followed by precipitation with increasing volumes of acetone yielded four SP-rich fractions, among which FC0.5 was chosen for its osteogenic potential in preliminary results and for its yield. This sample proved rich in sulfate, with low protein and phenolic contents. At low concentrations, it increased alkaline phosphatase activity in hWJ-MSCs in the absence of osteogenic inducers and enhanced matrix mineralization in osteogenic medium, suggesting a synergistic action with the inducers in the medium. In zebrafish, it was not embryotoxic and did not alter the optomotor response, and it increased vertebral calcification in larvae at one of the concentrations tested. These findings position FC0.5 as a promising candidate for bone tissue engineering. Some assays are still preliminary, and the monosaccharide composition, molecular mass, and osteogenic gene expression remain to be determined to clarify its mechanism of action.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Externo à Instituição - GILDACIO PEREIRA CHAVES FILHO - USP
Externo à Instituição - JEFFERSON DA SILVA BARBOSA - IFRN
Presidente - 1199127 - SILVIA REGINA BATISTUZZO DE MEDEIROS