Chemical Composition of Macroalgae Polysaccharides from Galician and Portugal Coasts: Seasonal Variations and Biological Properties.

Crude polysaccharides extracted from the sp. and sp. macroalgae collected in different seasons (winter, spring and summer) from the Galician and North Portugal coasts were characterised, aiming to support their biomedical application to wound healing. An increase in polysaccharides' sulphate content was registered from winter to summer, and higher values were obtained for sp. In turn, the monosaccharide composition constantly changed with a decrease in glucose in sp. from spring to winter. For sp., a higher increase was noticed regarding glucose content in the Galician and Portugal coasts. Galactose was the major monosaccharide in all the samples, remaining stable in all seasons and collection sites. These results corroborate the sulphate content and antioxidant activity, since the sp.-derived polysaccharides collected in summer exhibited higher scavenging radical ability. The biocompatibility and wound scratch assays revealed that the sp. polysaccharide extracted from the Portugal coast in summer possessed more potential for promoting fibroblast migration. This study on seasonal variations of polysaccharides, sulphate content, monosaccharide composition and, consequently, biological properties provides practical guidance for determining the optimal season for algae harvest to standardise preparations of polysaccharides for the biomedical field.