Inhibitory effect of sulphated polysaccharide porphyran (isolated from Porphyra yezoensis) on RANKL-induced differentiation of RAW264.7 cells into osteoclasts

Safe and efficient therapeutic agents for bone diseases are required in natural sources. We previously found that edible seaweed-derived polysaccharide porphyran exhibited anti-inflammatory effects through the down regulation of nuclear factor-B. The aim of this study was to investigate the availability of porphyran as a therapeutic agent for bone diseases. The effects of porphyran on receptor activator of nuclear factor B ligand (RANKL)-induced osteoclastogenesis in RAW264.7 cells were examined. Porphyran suppressed RANKL-induced osteoclast formation in a concentration-dependent manner (6.25-50g/ml) without any cytotoxic effects. Furthermore, real-time polymerase chain reaction analyses indicated that porphyran at 50g/ml significantly attenuated the RANKL-induced increase in the mRNA levels of osteoclastogenesis-related marker genes such as nuclear factor of activated T cells, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase, cathepsin K, and matrix metalloproteinase-9 in RAW264.7 cells. To our knowledge, this is the first report showing that edible-seaweed-derived polysaccharide porphyran can suppress RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis. Our results suggest that porphyran can be used as a safe therapeutic agent to improve osteoclast-related pathological conditions.