Approaches to Assure Similarity between Pharmaceutical Heparins from Two Different Manufacturers

Fucosylated chondroitin sulfate, an intriguing polysaccharide from sea cucumber: past, present, and future

Fucosylated chondroitin sulfate (FCS) is a unique polysaccharide, first described nearly four decades ago, and found exclusively in sea cucumbers. It is a component of the extracellular matrix, possibly associated with peculiar properties of the invertebrate tissue. The carbohydrate features a chondroitin sulfate core with branches of sulfated α-Fuc linked to position 3 of the β-GlcA. FCSs from different species of sea cucumbers share a similar chondroitin sulfate core but the structure of the sulfated α-Fuc branches varies significantly. The predominant pattern consists of a single unit of sulfated α-Fuc, though some species exhibit branches with multiple α-Fuc units. This comprehensive review focuses on four major aspects of FCS. Firstly, we describe the initial approaches to elucidate the structure of FCS using classical methods of carbohydrate chemistry. Secondly, we highlight the impact of two-dimensional NMR methods in consolidating and revealing further details about the structure of FCS. These studies were conducted by various researchers across different countries and involving multiple species of sea cucumbers. Thirdly, we summarize the biological activities reported for FCS. Our survey identified 104 publications involving FCS from 42 species of sea cucumbers, reporting 10 types of biological activities. Most studies focused on anticoagulant and antithrombotic activities. Finally, we discuss future perspectives for studies related to FCS. These studies aim to clarify the evolutionary advantage for sea cucumbers in developing such a peculiar fucosylated glycosaminoglycan. Additionally, there is a need to identify the enzymes and genes involved in the metabolism of this unique carbohydrate.

A Unique Enoxaparin Derived from Bovine Intestinal Heparin: A Single Purification Step of the Starting Material Assures a Bovine Enoxaparin Like the Standard from Porcine Origin

Low-molecular-weight heparin represent a significant advancement in anticoagulant therapy with enoxaparin being a prominent example obtained exclusively through the fragmentation of porcine intestinal heparin. However, escalating demand and limited resources have raised concerns about enoxaparin supplementation. The current challenge involves exploring alternative heparin sources for large-scale enoxaparin production with bovine intestinal heparin emerging as a promising option. Our study demonstrates that enoxaparin derived from the available bovine heparin preparation differs significantly from the reference compound. Yet, the implementation of a straightforward purification step yields a preparation termed "high-anticoagulant bovine heparin". Fragmentation of this purified product through β-elimination produces enoxaparin akin to the standard from a porcine origin. To ensure physicochemical similarity, we employed various spectroscopic, enzymatic, and chromatographic tests to compare the new bovine-derived enoxaparin with the original porcine compound. Biological activity was confirmed through in vitro coagulation assays and assessments using an animal model of venous thrombosis. Our study affirms that the β-elimination reaction cleaves the bovine heparin chain without preferential breaks in regions with different sulfation patterns. Additionally, we scrutinized decasaccharides purified from enoxaparin preparations, providing a comprehensive demonstration of the similarity between products obtained from porcine and bovine heparin. In summary, our findings indicate that an enoxaparin equivalent to the original porcine-derived product can be derived from bovine heparin, given that the starting material undergoes a simple purification step.

Towards halal pharmaceutical: Exploring alternatives to animal-based ingredients

Halal is a crucial concept for Muslim consumers regarding consumed products, including pharmaceutical ingredients, which are essential in modern medicine. To address the issue of using porcine-sourced ingredients in pharmaceuticals, it is essential to search for halal alternatives derived from poultry, animal by-products from meat processing, marine sources, and plants. However, the complexity of this problem is further compounded by the rapid advances in innovation and technology, which can lead to adulteration of ingredients derived from pigs. Other challenges include the sustainability of alternative materials, management of waste or by-products practice, halal awareness, certification, government policies, religious adherence of consumers, food suppliers, marketers, and purchasing of products. The importance of halal and non-halal problems, specifically in the context of pharmaceutical materials, is still rarely discussed, including alternatives derived from poultry, animal by-products, marine sources, and plants. Due to the increasing global population, there is a growing need to increase awareness and concern among Muslim consumers for halal products, including pharmaceuticals. Therefore, this research aimed to investigate the importance of halal and non-halal issues in pharmaceutical ingredients, the potential impact on the Muslim community, as well as opportunities and challenges in the search for alternative ingredients.