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Antioxidant and Antistaphylococcal 
Activity of Topical Fucoidan Gel from 

Sargassum oligocystum Montagne
RICHIE G. BAYURAN 

http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6045-6240
bianrenshi.rb@gmail.com

Saint Gabriel College
Institutional Research and Development Office 

Aklan, Philippines

Originality: 100% • Grammar Check: 99% • Plagiarism: 0%

ABSTRACT

 Brown seaweed is one of the algal species that has been used as food, a 
source of nutritional supplements, and formulated for therapeutic and cosmetic 
purposes. This study evaluated the antioxidant and antistaphylococcal activities 
of topical fucoidan gel (TFG) from Sargassum oligocystum. A completely 
randomized design was used, and the experimental protocol includes extraction, 
lyophilization, and characterization, quality testing, and biological assay. 
Physicochemical tests suggested that the lyophilized fucoidan is comparable with 
the properties of pharmaceutical-grade fucoidan. FTIR characterization revealed 
that fucoidan spectra contain the key functional groups, the sulfate groups, 
and polysaccharide chains. The formulated topical fucoidan gel also conforms 
to the selected minimum standards conducted for semi-solid preparation. 
Analysis of variance of antioxidant and antistaphylococcal assays showed that 
there was a significant difference in the median inhibitory concentration (IC50) 
and inhibitory zone (IZ) among treatments at the p<.01 respectively. Scheffe 

Vol. 38 · October 2019
DOI: https://doi.org/10.7719/jpair.v38i1.731

Print ISSN 2012-3981 
Online ISSN 2244-0445

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons 
Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/


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test confirmed that the IC50 of treatment pairs Ascorbic Acid (AA) -TGF, AA-
Lyophilized Fucoidan (LF), and TFG-LF were insignificant, which means they 
are comparable. Consequently, the IZ of Mupirocin 15ug/ml and TFG 45ug/ml 
has no significant difference, and it’s inhibitory zones on S. aureus are comparable. 
Thus, the results suggested that lyophilized fucoidan from S. oligocystum is a 
potential alternative antioxidant and antistaphylococcal agent. 

Keywords – Applied Science, Antioxidant, Antistaphylococcal, DPPH 
Assay, Disc Diffusion Method, Philippines

INTRODUCTION

Cosmetic is a formulated product intended to be applied topically to 
the body for the enhancement and restoration of personal appearance. Its 
formulation involves knowledge of the physicochemical properties of active and 
inactive ingredients that need skills in the manufacturing process considering 
their delivery system. Cosmetic industries employ the formulation of antiaging 
topical preparations to combat the harmful free radicals that damage the cells. 
External factors can also lead to the formation of these free radicals like eating of 
processed foods, exposure to environmental pollutants, and even absorption of 
hazardous chemical compounds from topical preparations. The human body is 
capable of producing antioxidant compounds that can combat the harmful effect 
of these reactive oxygen species (ROS), but when this ROS outcasts the natural 
antioxidant of the body, then cellular and metabolic processes are affected. With 
such, the aging process of the cells becomes rapid than cellular regeneration. 

Antibacterial resistance is recently a major health issue in society. The increase 
in the rate of antibacterial resistance dominates the rate of recovery from infection 
and the rate of discovery of new and effective medicines. A skin infection caused 
by Staphylococcus aureus can progress to the formation of furuncles, carbuncles, 
and skin abscesses. S. aureus is the commonly identified agent responsible for skin 
and soft tissue infections (McCaig, McDonald, Mandal, & Jernigan, 2006).  It 
invades open wound, and when growth becomes uncontrollable, secondary 
complications may arise and will enter the systemic circulation that can lead to a 
serious condition like sepsis.

Plants, animal tissues, mollusks, and marine species have been used as a 
source of active compounds in the cosmetic industry. Interestingly, Seaweed or 
macro alga is one of the marine species with diverse biological activities and 



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are the rich source of phytochemical compounds with remarkable medicinal 
potential. (Dhargalkar & Pereira, 2005). Studies suggested that some bioactive 
compounds isolated from marine organisms had shown to exhibit anti-infective 
activity against bacteria (Ragupathu Raja Kannan, 2010), virus (Rowley et al., 
2002) and fungus (Arumugam, Kannan, Arivuselvan, & Anantharaman, 2010). 
Likewise, some compounds have cellular activity in killing cancer cells (Numata, 
1991) and protecting normal cells as an antioxidant (Athiperumalsamy, 2010). 
Also, it has an anti-inflammatory (Hua et al., 2004) and antidiabetic (Gokce & 
Haznedaroglu, 2008) properties. Macro algae consist of sulfated polysaccharides 
like fucoidan, which have a medicinal impact and valuable in developing 
new pharmaceutical alternatives (Menelo, Rayel, & Daisy, 2012). Fucoidan 
(Marudhupandi & Kuma, 2014 and 2013) from seaweeds exhibit antioxidant 
(Duan, Zhang, Li, & Wang, 2006; Kuda, Tsunekawa, Goto, & Araki, 2005; 
Lim, Cheung, Ooi, & Ang, 2002; Park et al., 2004) and antibacterial (Demirel, 
Yilmaz-Koz, Karabay-Yavasoglu, Ozdemir, & Sukatar, 2009) activities. Thus, 
seaweeds can be a promising source of pharmaceutical and cosmetic alternatives. 

FRAMEWORK

Fucoidan is composed of fucose-sulfated polysaccharide with a high 
molecular weight, which is freely soluble in water. The high molecular weight 
and water-solubility properties of fucoidan were considered to be responsible for 
delaying cell aging, suppressing cancer cell growth (Lemieszek and Rzeski, 2012), 
counteracting the oxidizing effects of free radicals and inhibiting bacterial growth. 
Physicochemical testing and FTIR characterization were employed to identify 
the presence of essential functional groups like sulfate and polysaccharides. These 
structure combinations were known to exert the antioxidant effect on harmful 
free radicals. 



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Figure 1. Conceptual Framework of the Study

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

This study evaluates the antioxidant and antistaphylococcal activities of 
fucoidan topical gel from Sargassum oligocystum. Specifically, this study aims 
to evaluate: (1) the percentage yield of fucoidan; (2) the physicochemical 
properties of fucoidan; (3) the functional groups present in fucoidan under 
Fourier transform infrared (FITR) spectroscopy; (4) the characteristics of topical 
fucoidan gel based on the selected minimum test requirements for semi-solid 
pharmaceutical preparation; (5) the median inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 
the control and treatments using DPPH free radical scavenging assay; (6) the 
extent on the inhibition zone (IZ) of the control and treatments on the growth 
of S. aureus using paper-disc diffusion method; and (7) the significant difference 
between the IC50 and IZ of topical fucoidan gel and the positive control.

METHODOLOGY

Research Design
This study utilized an experimental and completely randomized design 

for antioxidants and an antistaphylococcal assay of fucoidan topical gel from 
S. oligocystum. In post-test, the only control group was used in assessing the 
free radical scavenging capacity and inhibition of S. aureus growth of different 
treatments.



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Sample Collection
Mature and fresh S. oligocystum were collected from the subtidal zone of 

Brgy. Basiao, Ivisan, Capiz, through the assistance of fisherman. The whole 
plant was stored in a clear, wide-mouth glass bottle for macroscopic analysis 
and specific algal authentication through the guidance of aqua culturist of the 
Aquaculture Department of Southeast Asian Fisheries and Development Center, 
(AQD/SEAFDEC) Region VI. The authentication of algae was based on physical 
characterization using the following parameters: holdfast discoid, stem, primary 
to secondary branches, vesicles, and receptacles.

Experimental Procedure
Extraction of Fucoidan. S. oligocystum samples were washed thoroughly using 

a continuous stream of tap water to remove dirt and sands, followed by washing 
of distilled water and were air-dried for one week. Algae were milled into a fine 
powder using an electric granulator. Four kilograms of powdered samples were 
soaked in 8000 mL distilled water and heated over the electro thermostatic 
automated water-bath for 4 hours at 80oC (Jehan et al., 2010 and Guevarra, 
2004). Suction filtration was applied to separate the algal residues, and the filtrate 
was transferred to a glass container. The samples were kept at 2-8oC inside the ice-
jacketed thermostat box and transported to AQD/SEAFDEC for lyophilization. 

Percentage Yield Determination. The weight of the lyophilized powder, which 
was previously measured using an analytical balance, was divided by the weight 
of algae samples and multiplied by 100.

Physicochemical Evaluation of Fucoidan. The color, odor, taste, form, pH of 
1% solution, and solubility in polar and nonpolar solvents of lyophilized powder 
were enumerated under physical tests. Carbohydrate, sulfate, and polysaccharide 
tests were identified under chemical properties.

FTIR Characterization. Characterization of lyophilized powder was 
performed using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and compared with 
the reference standard fucoidan (pharmaceutical and food grade) at 650-4000cm-
1 frequency range. (Soehono et al., 2014). The quality of the lyophilized powder, 
including the reference standard, was compared against Agilent pectin internal 
standard in the Attenuated Total Reflection Library of the FTIR Spectrometer 
(Agilent Technologies). 

Formulation of Fucoidan Gel. Distilled water was heated over the thermostat 
mechanical stirrer at a temperature of 80oC (Soehono et al., 2014) with 100 
revolutions per minute (rpm) stirring for five minutes. Xanthan gum was gradually 



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sprinkled over the stirring water and allowed to swell until a homogenous gel-like 
mixture formed. In a mortar, fucoidan was levigated with distilled water until a 
paste-like consistency developed. Titanium dioxide was added to the fucoidan 
paste and triturated continuously until homogenously mixed. The fucoidan-
titanium dioxide mixture was then added to the xanthan gum gel. Lemon-tea 
tree oil mixture was added to the gel and stirred for one minute. The prepared gel 
was transferred to a filling machine and dispensed to a gel container. The finished 
product was labeled accordingly.

Minimum Tests for the Quality of Fucoidan Topical Gel. The color, odor, taste, 
form, pH of 1% fucoidan topical gel solution, miscibility in polar and nonpolar 
solvents, bacterial count, spreadability, and viscosity were tested.

Antioxidant Assay. The free radical scavenging activity was based on the 
inhibition of the stable 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical. 
One (1) ml of 0.1 mmol/L solution of DPPH in ethanol solution was added to 
3 mL solution of lyophilized fucoidan (LF) and topical fucoidan gel (TFG) at 
concentrations of 5, 10, 25 and 50 αg/mL). These solutions were incubated further 
at room temperature, and after 30 minutes, the absorbance of each solution was 
recorded at 517 nm. Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) was used as a reference standard 
following the same concentration of the LF and TFG for comparing the extent of 
the free radical scavenging capacity of the treatments. The percentage inhibition 
activity was calculated using the formula [(A0–A1)/A0] x 100, where A0 is the 
absorbance of the DPPH solution as the control, and A1 is the absorbance of the 
treatment/ standard. Median inhibitory concentration (IC

50) value was calculated 
from the equation of line obtained by plotting a graph of concentration (αg/ml) 
versus % inhibition (Nasrin, 2013) using Microsoft Excel. 

Ethical Consideration. Prior to the collection of S. aureus from human skin, the 
researchers sought approval from the Institution of Ethics Research Committee 
through the completion of the ethics form for a faculty research project. 

Collection, Culture, Isolation, Identification, and Confirmation of S. aureus. 
The test microorganism, S. aureus was obtained from human skin through the 
wet swabbing method. The swabbed microorganism was cultured, isolated, 
and identified by inoculating in the Mannitol Salt Agar (MSA). The MSA is a 
selective agar medium, and the formation of yellow isolates (Sharp and Searcy, 
2006) confirmed the identity of the S. aureus. Gram staining was also used to 
reconfirm the identity of S. aureus. The yellow isolates were then suspended in a 
Trypticase Soy Broth (TSB) and incubated to 18 hours before testing. The 18-
hour S. aureus culture was standardized using the McFarland standard, which 



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is equivalent to 106 uCFU/mL of 0.5 McFarland standard (Akinpelu, Abioye, 
Aiyegoro, Akinpelu, & Okoh, 2015). 

Antistaphylococcal assay. The paper disc diffusion method was used to 
measure the antibacterial activity (Rasmavar et al., 2014 and Guevarra, 2005). 
Doxycycline disc (30ug/disc) and Mupirocin cream (2%w/w) were the positive 
antibiotic disc, and commercial cream used respectively. The cream was diluted 
with water to quantify the equivalent amount of active ingredient parallel to 
the three treatments of LF and FFH (15ug/disc, 30ug/disc, and 45ug/disc) by 
using ratio-proportion and dilution technique. Ten microliters of treatments 
and mupirocin cream dilutions were used to wet the standardized and sterilized 
6-mm Whatman filter paper discs, whereas ten microliters of topical gel base 
were used as a negative control. The paper discs were applied on the surface of 
the inoculated plates, not closer than 15 mm from the edge of the agar plate, and 
far enough from each other to prevent overlapping of zones of inhibition using a 
sterile forceps. The agar plates were inverted and placed in an incubator at 36.5°C 
and incubated for 24 hours (Guevara, 2005). Antibacterial assay was performed 
by measuring the diameter of the inhibition zone (IZ) around the discs. The 
assay was repeated trice. Antibacterial activity was expressed in terms of the 
mean inhibition zone in diameters (mm) produced by different treatments with 
positive and negative controls. The zones of inhibition were determined using a 
digital vernier caliper with the corresponding inferences: <10mm (inactive), 10-
13mm (partially active), 14-19mm (active), and >19mm (very active).

Data Analysis
The median inhibitory concentration for antioxidant assay and zone of 

inhibition for antistaphylococcal assay were analyzed using Statistical Package for 
Social Science (SPSS) version 23.0.0.0 through Analysis of Variance to compare 
the significant difference. Post-hoc Scheffe test was used to confirm further where 
the differences occurred between treatments. Statistical significance was set at 
p-value ≤ .01. 

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

There were 263.20 grams of lyophilized fucoidan obtained from 4000 grams 
of S. oligocystum samples equivalent to 6.58% w/w yield. The amount of fucoidan 
depends on the habitat, type of species, and method extraction. Fucoidan is a 
sulfated polysaccharide that is soluble in water and remains stable up to 80oC 
(Soehono et al., 2014).



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Physicochemical tests in table 1 show that the color of pharmaceutical-grade 
fucoidan and lyophilized fucoidan differs in terms of color and pH. S. oligocystum 
is a highly pigmented alga with dark spots. The pH difference depends on the 
type of algal source since the pharmaceutical grade was extracted from kelp. 

Table 1. Physical Properties of Lyophilized Fucoidan
Physical Test Pharmaceutical Grade Fucoidan Lyophilized Fucoidan

Color Light brown Brown

Odor Fishy Fishy

Taste Salty Salty

Form Powder Powder

pH 7.67 7.05

Solubility in water Freely-soluble (1:10) Freely-soluble (1:10)

Solubility in ethanol Insoluble Insoluble

Chemical identification tests in table 2 reflect that fucoidan is composed 
of sulfate and polysaccharides. It reveals that fucoidan is a carbohydrate by 
nature, and it contains glycosidic linkages that stabilize the key functional groups 
responsible for its bioactivity. The physical and chemical properties of fucoidan 
obtained from S. oligocystum played a significant role in the formulation of 
topical gel. Fucoidan possessed polar characteristics, and it can be incorporated 
in a hydrogel base to ensure good delivery.

Table 2. Chemical Properties of Lyophilized Fucoidan
Chemical Test Constituent Detected Standard Result Experimental Result

Molisch Carbohydrate Purple ring Purple ring

BaCl2 Sulfate White precipitate White precipitate

Lugol Polysaccharide Blue-black solution Blue-black coloration

Figure 2 detects the specific vibrations and stretch of different functional 
groups of fucoidan under the FTIR spectrometer through the reference sensing 
of the pectin library internal standard observed at wavenumber 3400-3500cm-1. 
The spectra of standard fucoidan and lyophilized fucoidan are identical. 



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Figure 2. FTIR Spectra of Standard Fucoidan, Lyophilized Fucoidan, 
and Internal Standard

Based on the FTIR spectra, the different functional groups present 
in fucoidan under the FTIR spectrum. The presence of OH group in the 
monosaccharide monomer is observed at 3300-3400cm-1, an aliphatic C–H 
at 2900cm-1, a C=O stretch for acetate at 1700cm-1 (Zayed et al., 2016). The 
C-O-C bending vibrations in the glycosidic linkage is observed at the region 
700-1000cm-1 (Fernando et al., 2017). The glycosidic linkage stretch C–O–C 
and C–O–H are distinct between 1600 cm-1and 1000 cm-1. The signals near to 
1600 cm-1and 1500 cm-1are produced by the asymmetric and symmetric stretch 
vibration of C-O-O of uronic acid (Marques, Vilanova, Mourão, & Fernàndez-
Busquets, 2016, Cuib et al., 2004). The presence of S=O stretching of the sulfate 
group is noted as a weak band at 1000cm-1 (Peranginangin & Saepudin, 2016). 
Therefore, the distinct band stretch of polysaccharide at 1000–3400cm-1 and 
sulfate at 1000 cm-1 is an indication that it is a sulfated polysaccharide. These 
are the essential functional moieties that can affect cell division and blood vessel 
formation (Lemieszek and Rzeski, 2012).

Minimum test requirements for topical fucoidan gel as a semi-solid 
pharmaceutical preparation in table 3 shows that TFG has a white-opaque viscid 
gel-like property, which was miscible both in water and alcohol. 



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Table 3. Minimum Test Requirements for Topical Fucoidan Gel (TFG)
Parameter Result

Color White

Odor Citrus 

Transparency Opaque

Form Gel

Consistency Viscous

Bacterial count Not detected

Miscibility in water Miscible with small globules on the surface of the liquid

Miscibility in ethanol Miscible

Spreadability 6.02 cm ± 0.05 

% spreadability difference 5.64% (mupirocin ointment) ; 9.06% (vitamin E cream)

Viscosity 1342.67 mPa.s ± 0.33

% viscosity difference 14.22% mupirocin ointment) ; 18.06% (vitamin E cream)

Figure 3 shows that 5.64% and 9.06% are the spreadability difference of 
TFG (topical fucoidan gel) compared to MUP (mupirocin) and VITE (vitamin 
E), respectively. This shows that the ability of TFG to spread is closely related to 
MUP. This relationship can also be attributed to the spreadability comparison 
of the mupirocin-topical gel base (MUP-TGB) since the consistency of TFG 
depends entirely on the characteristic flow of TGB. 

Figure 3. Spreadability of Mupirocin Ointment, Vitamin E Cream, 
Topical Fucoidan Gel, and Topical Gel Base



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Figure 4 reveals that 14.22% and 18.06% are the viscosity difference of 
TFG (topical fucoidan gel) compared to MUP (mupirocin) and VITE (vitamin 
E), respectively. This reveals that the consistency of TFG is closely related to 
MUP. This relationship can also be attributed to the viscosity comparison of the 
mupirocin-topical gel base (MUP-TGB) since the consistency of TFG depends 
entirely on the characteristic flow of TGB. Consequently, no bacterial growth 
was detected when subjected to microbial count analysis.

Figure 4. The Viscosity of treatment pair VITE-TFG (vitamin E cream vs. 
topical fucoidan gel), MUP-TFG (mupirocin vs. topical fucoidan gel), VITE-

TGB (vitamin E cream vs. topical gel base) and MUP-TGB (mupirocin vs. 
topical gel base)

Figure 5 reveals the average median inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 
different treatments which was evaluated using 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl 
(DPPH) free radical scavenging assay. It shows that AA (x=̅19.00±0.02) has the 
lowest IC50, followed by TFG (x=̅20.73±0.07), LF (x=̅22.48±0.02) and TGB 
(x=̅38.86±1.36). 

Figure 5: Average median inhibitory concentration (ug/mL) of AA 
(ascorbic acid), TFG (topical fucoidan gel), LF (lyophilized fucoidan) and TGB 

(topical gel base) on DPPH free radical



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One-way analysis of variance in Table 4 reveals that there was a significant 
difference in the IC50 among treatments at the p<.01 level [F(3, 8) = 182.3406, 
p = 1.05e-7]. Post-hoc Scheffe test reveals that the IC50 of treatment pair AA-
TGF, AA-LF and TFG-LF are insignificant, which means they are comparable.

Table 4. Analysis Of Variance of Median Inhibitory Concentration (IC50) of 
Four Treatments (ascorbic acid, topical fucoidan gel, lyophilized fucoidan and 
topical gel base)

SS df MS F Sig

Between groups
Within groups
Total

757.1555
11.0731

768.2286

3
8

11

252.3852
1.3841

182.3406 1.05e-7

p<0.01

DPPH is a free radical and popularly used as a model to assess the antioxidant 
capacity in a relatively short time-frame compared with other methods. The 
DPPH radical is scavenged through the donation of hydrogen by the antioxidant 
to form a stable DPPH-H molecule. The DPPH carries similar key functional 
groups such as -OH and -OSO

3H groups. The excess -OH groups are replaced 
by the -OSO3H groups, thus scavenging effect or inhibition of oxidation is 
exhibited. In the present study, it showed that lyophilized fucoidan and topical 
fucoidan gel have strong scavenging activities on DPPH radicals at a dosage of 
22.48ug/mL±0.02 and 20.73ug/mL±0.07 which may be attributed due to the 
high sulfate content interlinked in the polysaccharide backbone. In relation to 
the present study, Zhang et al. (2003) and Athiperumalsami et al. (2010) relate 
the antioxidant activity  and the sulfated polysaccharide content from Porphyra 
haitanesis extract, the higher the sulfated polysaccharide contents, the stronger 
the antioxidant activity. In this study, part of the chemical identification test 
was the detection of the presence of sulfate and polysaccharides, then further 
reconfirmed through FTIR characterization where sulfate and polysaccharides 
formed vibration stretch detected within wavenumber 3400-3500cm-1.

Figure 6 shows the average inhibition zone on S. aureus growth of 
doxycycline, mupirocin, TGF, TGB and distilled water which were evaluated 
using a paper-disc diffusion assay. The highest to lowest IZs were observed from 
doxycycline (x=̅24.48±0.13), MUP45ug/disc (x=̅22.69±0.37), MUP30ug/disc 
(x=̅20.83±0.09), MUP15ug/disc (x=̅19.18±0.19), followed by TFG45ug/disc 
(x=̅19.43±0.08), TFG 30ug/disc (x=̅15.84±0.20), TFG 15ug/disc (x=̅12.83±0.32), 

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TGB (x=̅7.95±0.03) and distilled water 0.01ml/disc (x=̅6.04±0.01).

Figure 6: Average inhibition zone (mm) of DOX (doxycycline), M (mupirocin) 
45-30-15ug/disc, TFG (topical fucoidan gel) 45-30-15ug/disc, LF (lyophilized 
fucoidan) 45-30-15ug/disc, TGB (topical gel base) and DW (distilled water)

One-way analysis of variance in Table 5 reveals that there was a significant 
difference in the IZ among nine treatments at the p<.01 level [F(8, 18) = 
2099.9222, p = 1.11e-16]. Post-hoc Scheffe test in table 11 explains that the 
IZ of mupirocin 15ug/ml and topical fucoidan gel 45ug/ml has no significant 
difference. Thus, the inhibitory zones on S. aureus between MUP15ug/ml and 
TFG45ug/ml are comparable. However, TFG45ug/disc has the least significant 
difference when compared to MUP30ug/disc.

Table 5. Analysis of variance of the inhibitory zone (IZ) of nine treatments 
(doxycycline, mupirocin 45-30-15ug/disc, topical fucoidan gel 45-30-15ug/disc, 
topical gel base and distilled water)

SS df MS F Sig

Between groups
Within groups
Total

989.2101
2.0395

991.2496

8
18
26

123.6513
0.1133

1091.3076 1.11e-16

p<0.01

One-way analysis of variance in Table 6 reveals that there was a signifi-
cant difference in the IZ among nine treatments at the p<.01 level [F(8, 18) = 
1091.3076, p = 1.11e-16]. Post-hoc Scheffe test in Table 13 depicts that the IZ 
of three LF treatments has a significant difference when compared to DOX and 
MUP. Thus, the results in the antistaphyloccocal activity of lyophilized fucoidan 



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are not comparable to the positive control. However, LF15ug/disc has the least 
significant difference when compared to the TGB.

Table 6: Analysis of variance of the inhibitory zone (IZ) of nine treatments 
(doxycycline, mupirocin 45-30-15ug/disc, lyophilized fucoidan 45-30-15ug/
disc, topical gel base, and distilled water)

SS df MS F Sig

Between groups
Within groups
Total

1169.6193
1.2532

1170.8725

8
18
26

146.2024
0.0696

2,099.9222 1.11e-16

p<0.01

Fucoidan is a complex sulfated polysaccharide that is found in the cell 
walls of several edible brown algae like Fucus vesiculosus (Choi, Jang, & Cha, 
2015), Sargassum fulvellum, S. kjellmanianum, L. angustata, L. angustata var. 
longissima, L. japonica, Ecklonia cava, and Eisenia bicyclis. Ale et al. (2011) 
tested sulfated polysaccharide brown algal species its bioactivities and noted 
that the high concentration of polysaccharides in these species is responsible for 
its antimicrobial properties (Choi, Jang, & Cha, 2015, Qin et al., 2013 and 
Horikawa, Noro, & Kamei, 1999).

TFG formula contains a mixture of lemon-tea tree oil as odor enhancing 
agents and known to exert antioxidant and antibacterial activities (Frassinetti et 
al., 2011 and Kim et al., 2004). Lemon-tea tree oil and fucoidan co-synergized 
each other when in the formulation as reflected in their average IC50: TFG 
(x=̅20.73) lyophilized fucoidan (x=̅22.48) and topical gel base (x=̅38.86). 
Numerically, the combined lyophilized and topical gel base in the topical fucoidan 
gel has a lower IC50, which means that the lower the concentration of IC50, 
the stronger is the free radical scavenging activity. Consequently, the addition of 
methylparaben which was used as a preservative enhances the antistaphylococcal 
activity of lyophilized fucoidan, as seen in the IZ of TFG 45ug/disc (x=̅19.43) 
which is comparable to MUP15ug/disc. Pharmaceutical additives or excipients 
are needed to improve the aesthetic appeal of the formulated product. Citrus 
scent was considered because it is the scent of choice in masking the fishy smell of 
fucoidan (Robbins, 2018). Therefore, the topical gel base served as the reference 
for evaluating the influence of these additives in the activity of fucoidan as a 
component of base formulation and finished product, respectively. 



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CONCLUSIONS

Based on the gathered findings and results of the study, topical fucoidan gel 
is a potential antioxidant agent at a dose of 20.73ug/ml based on free radical 
scavenging activity and as an antistaphylococcal agent at a dose of 45ug/disc on 
S. aureus. 

TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH 

The findings of this research is helpful in the realization of the preservation 
of brown algae and its habitat because the results showed that the fucoidan 
from S. oligocystum is a potential antioxidant and antistaphylococcal alternative. 
Likewise, the results must be forwarded to relevant health research agencies 
for them to perform different replicates utilizing different bacterial strains and 
conduct molecular rearrangement of fucoidan to enhance its biological activities 
better. 

 
RECOMMENDATIONS

The researcher would like to recommend the use of other free radicals for 
antioxidant assay and other skin pathogenic bacteria for antibacterial assay to 
establish an additional scope of biological and bacteriological activities using the 
local algal source which is S. oligocystum.

LITERATURE CITED

Akinpelu, D. A., Abioye, E. O., Aiyegoro, O. A., Akinpelu, O. F., & Okoh, 
A. I. (2015). Evaluation of Antibacterial and Antifungal Properties 
of  Alchornea laxiflora  (Benth.) Pax. & Hoffman.  Evidence-Based 
Complementary and Alternative Medicine : eCAM, 2015, 684839. http://doi.
org/10.1155/2015/684839.

Ale, M.T., Mikkelsen, J.D. and Meyer, A.S. (2011) Important Determinants for 
Fucoidan Bioactivity: A Critical Review of Structure-Function Relations and 
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