Extraction and structural analysis of Angelica sinensis polysaccharide with low molecular weight and its lipid-lowering effect on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

The angelica Polysaccharide: a review of phytochemistry, pharmacology and beneficial effects on systemic diseases

Angelica sinensis is a perennial herb widely distributed around the world, and angelica polysaccharide (APS) is a polysaccharide extracted from Angelica sinensis. APS is one of the main active components of Angelica sinensis. A large number of studies have shown that APS has hematopoietic, promoting blood circulation, radiation resistance, lowering blood glucose, enhancing the body immunity and other pharmacological effects in a variety of diseases. However, different extraction methods and extraction sites greatly affect the efficacy of APS. In recent years, with the emerging of new technologies, there are more and more studies on the combined application and structural modification of APS. In order to promote the comprehensive development and in-depth application of APS, this narrative review systematically summarizes the effects of different drying methods and extraction sites on the biological activity of APS, and the application of APS in the treatment of diseases, hoping to provide a scientific basis for the experimental study and clinical application of APS.

Isolation, purification, and structural characterization of polysaccharides from Codonopsis pilosula and its therapeutic effects on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in vitro and in vivo

Codonopsis pilosula is a famous edible and medicinal plants, in which polysaccharides are recognized as one of the important active ingredients. A neutral polysaccharide (CPP-1) was purified from C. pilosula. The structure was characterized by HPSEC-MALLS-RID, UV, FT-IR, GC-MS, methylation analysis, and NMR. The results showed that CPP-1 was a homogeneous pure polysaccharide, mainly containing fructose and glucose, and a small amount of arabinose. Methylation analysis showed that CPP-1 composed of →1)-Fruf-(2→, Fruf-(1→ and Glcp-(1→ residues. Combined the NMR results the structure of CPP-1 was confirmed as α-D-Glcp-(1 → [2)-β-D-Fruf-(1 → 2)-β-D-Fruf-(1]26 → 2)-β-D-Fruf with the molecular weight of 4.890 × 103 Da. The model of AML12 hepatocyte fat damage was established in vitro. The results showed that CPP-1 could increase the activity of SOD and CAT antioxidant enzymes and reduce the content of MDA, thus protecting cells from oxidative damage. Subsequently, the liver protective effect of CPP-1 was studied in the mouse model of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) induced by the high-fat diet. The results showed that CPP-1 significantly reduced the body weight, liver index, and body fat index of NAFLD mice, and significantly improved liver function. Therefore, CPP-1 should be a potential candidate for the treatment of NAFLD.

Managing metabolic diseases: The roles and therapeutic prospects of herb-derived polysaccharides

Metabolic diseases have become a public health problem worldwide. Effective, novel and natural therapies are urgently needed to treat metabolic diseases. As natural bioactive compounds, polysaccharides have many physiological and medicinal properties. Recently, herb-derived polysaccharides have shown beneficial effects in the treatment of metabolic diseases, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This review comprehensively summarizes the pharmacological progress and clinical evidence of herb-derived polysaccharides in the treatment of three metabolic diseases, namely type 2 diabetes mellitus, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and obesity, and more importantly, discusses the molecular mechanism involved. Existing evidence has proved that herb-derived polysaccharides can maintain glucose homeostasis, promote insulin secretion, improve insulin resistance, reduce weight gain and hepatic steatosis, inhibit lipogenesis, alleviate oxidative stress and inflammation, and improve gut microbiota disorders in rodents with metabolic diseases. Notably, so far, human clinical trials of herb-derived polysaccharides for these three metabolic diseases remain rare. All in all, herb-derived polysaccharides may have good potential as drug candidates for the prevention and management of metabolic diseases. More high-quality clinical trials are needed to further validate its effectiveness and safety in human subjects.

Extraction, purification, structural characterization, and hepatoprotective effect of the polysaccharide from purple sweet potato

BACKGROUND

Purple sweet potato Ipomoea batatas (L.) has long been used as a medicine and a food. It contains various bioactive substances such as polysaccharides, anthocyanins, and flavonoids. Purple sweet potato polysaccharides are known to have anti-oxidant, anti-tumor, and immunomodulatory functions. Nevertheless, studies on the structural characterization of purple sweet potato polysaccharides and their ability to prevent non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) have rarely been reported.

RESULTS

A novel polysaccharide (PSPP-A) was extracted and isolated from purple sweet potato, and its structural characteristics and preventive effects on NAFLD were investigated. The results indicated that PSPP-A was composed of l-rhamnose, d-arabinose, d-galactose, d-glucose, and d-glucuronic acid with molar ratios of 1.89:8.45:1.95:1.13:1. Its molecular weight was 2.63 × 10³  kDa. Methylation and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis indicated that the glycosidic linkages were →3)-α-L-Araf-(1→, α-L-Araf-(1→, →2,4)-α-L-Rhap-(1→, 4-O-Me-β-D-GlcAp-(1→, →4)-α-D-Glcp-(1→, →4)-β-D-Galp-(1→, and →6)-β-D-Galp-(1→. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) indicated that the structure of PSPP-A was irregular. Subsequently, the protective effect of PSPP-A on NAFLD was investigated. The results indicated that bodyweight, liver index, and triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), aspartate transaminase (AST), and alanine transaminase (ALT) content were significantly reduced by intervention of purple sweet potato polysaccharide-A (PSPP-A) compared with the - high-fat diet group. Liver histopathological analysis indicated that PSPP-A attenuated irregular hepatocyte patterns and excessive lipid vacuoles.

CONCLUSIONS

The novel polysaccharide, PSPP-A, mainly contains arabinose, which has certain preventive effects on NAFLD. This study provides a theoretical basis for further elucidating the hepatoprotective effect of purple sweet potatoes as a functional food. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Nutraceuticals and the Network of Obesity Modulators

Obesity is considered an increasingly widespread disease in the world population, regardless of age and gender. Genetic but also lifestyle-dependent causes have been identified. Nutrition and physical exercise play an important role, especially in non-genetic obesity. In a three-compartment model, the body is divided into fat mass, fat-free mass and water, and obesity can be considered a condition in which the percentage of total fat mass is in excess. People with a high BMI index or overweight use self-medications, such as food supplements or teas, with the aim to prevent or treat their problem. Unfortunately, there are several obesity modulators that act both on the pathways that promote adipogenesis and those that inhibit lipolysis. Moreover, these pathways involve different tissues and organs, so it is very difficult to identify anti-obesity substances. A network of factors and cells contributes to the accumulation of fat in completely different body districts. The identification of natural anti-obesity agents should consider this network, which we would like to call "obesosome". The nutrigenomic, nutrigenetic and epigenetic contribute to making the identification of active compounds very difficult. This narrative review aims to highlight nutraceuticals that, in vitro or in vivo, showed an anti-obesity activity or were found to be useful in the control of dysfunctions which are secondary to obesity. The results suggest that it is not possible to use a single compound to treat obesity, but that the studies have to be addressed towards the identification of mixtures of nutraceuticals.

Lipid-lowering activity of metformin-soluble soybean polysaccharide nanoparticles

Soybean dregs are one of the most important albeit underutilized byproducts in soybean processing. In this study, soluble soybean polysaccharides with lipid-lowering activity were extracted from soybean dregs and used as a wall material for embedding metformin. Metformin-soluble soybean polysaccharide nanoparticles (MET-SSPS-NPs) were prepared by electrostatic interaction. The lipid-lowering activity and possible mechanism of MET-SSPS-NPs were investigated. Western blotting was used to detect the expression levels of cell-related protein proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) and low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) in vitro. The results showed that MET-SSPS-NPs lowered the expression of PCSK9 and improved LDLR levels. A high-fat diet (HFD) animal model was established to study the lipid-lowering effect of MET-SSPS-NPs by real-time quantitative PCR and western blotting. MET-SSPS-NPs significantly upregulated peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) expression and downregulated PCSK9, fatty acid-binding protein (FABP)7 and FABP5 expression more strongly than MET or SSPS alone. In conclusion, MET-SSPS-NPs can inhibit PCSK9 expression and improve the level of adipokines, providing a theoretical basis for the application of MET-SSPS-NPs in lipid lowering.

Metabonomics Study on the hepatoprotective effect mechanism of polysaccharides from different processed products of Angelica Sinensis on the layer chickens based on UPLC-Q/TOF-MS/MS, multivariate statistical analysis and conjoint analysis

Chicken colibacillosis is one of the most severe diseases in the poultry industry. Ceftiofur sodium (CS) is often used to treat it in clinical practice and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) accumulates in the chicken's body. Previous experimental studies found that CS combined with LPS could induce liver injury in layer chickens, and polysaccharides from charred Angelica sinensis(CASP) had a better hepatoprotective effect than polysaccharides from unprocessed Angelica sinensis(UASP). However, the intervention mechanism was unclear. Thus, UPLC–Q/TOF–MS/MS‐based metabonomics and transcriptomics were used in this study to clarify the hepatoprotective effect mechanism of CASP and UASP in layer chickens. Transcriptomics and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay were used for biological verification of some critical mutual metabolic pathways screened with metabonomics. The comprehensive analysis results showed that in a layer chicken liver injury model built with LPS and CS, 12 critical metabolic pathways were disturbed, involving 10 important differential metabolites. The hepatoprotective effect mechanism of CASP is related to the arachidonic acid metabolism and mTOR signaling pathways, involving nine important differential metabolites. In contrast, the hepatoprotective effect mechanism of UASP is related to the arachidonic acid metabolism pathway, involving six important differential metabolites.

Tilapia-Head Chondroitin Sulfate Protects against Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease via Modulating the Gut-Liver Axis in High-Fat-Diet-Fed C57BL/6 Mice

We isolated and characterized tilapia-head chondroitin sulfate (TH-CS) and explored its biological activity and mechanisms of action as an oral supplement for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) induced by a high-fat diet (HFD) in mice. The results showed that treatment with TH-CS for 8 weeks alleviated the development of NAFLD, as evidenced by the notable improvement in liver damage, blood lipid accumulation and insulin resistance (IR). Meanwhile, TH-CS treatment reduced the expression of proinflammatory cytokines and normalized oxidative stress. Additionally, the analysis of 16S rDNA sequencing revealed that TH-CS could restore gut microbiota balance and increase the relative abundance of short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)-producing bacteria. Furthermore, SCFAs produced by related bacteria can further improve lipid metabolism and IR by regulating lipid synthesis signals. In conclusion, TH-CS is an effective dietary supplement for the prevention of NAFLD, and may serve as a potential supplementary treatment for lipid-related metabolic syndrome.

The effect of Spirulina sauce, as a functional food, on cardiometabolic risk factors, oxidative stress biomarkers, glycemic profile, and liver enzymes in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease patients: A randomized double-blinded clinical trial

OBJECTIVE

This study sought to investigate the effect of Spirulina on cardiometabolic risk factors, oxidative stress biomarkers, glycemic profile, and liver enzymes in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients.

METHODS

This randomized, double-blind clinical trial was performed on 46 NAFLD patients. Subjects were allocated to consume either Spirulina sauce or placebo, each 20 g/day for 8 weeks. Fatty liver grade, liver enzymes, anthropometric parameters, blood pressure, and serum lipids, glucose, insulin, malondialdehyde, and antioxidant capacity were assessed pre- and postintervention.

RESULTS

Fatty liver grade was significantly different between the two groups. A significant change for ALT (alanine aminotransferase) and AST (aspartate aminotransferase) was seen between the two groups (p = .03 and .02, respectively), while ALP (alkaline phosphatase) serum levels were not significantly different within or between groups. Pertaining to glycemic profile, all variables, except HOMA-IR, were not significantly different within or between groups. Finally, statistically significant changes were seen in both MDA (malondialdehyde) and TAC (total antioxidant capacity) among the groups (p = .04 and <.001, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Spirulina may improve fatty liver grade by modifying liver enzymes, oxidative stress, and some lipid profiles; however, there was effect of Spirulina on anthropometric characteristics and blood pressure.

Metabolomics study of Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels on the abnormal uterine bleeding rats by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry analysis

The objective of this study was to explore the effects and underlying intervention mechanisms of Angelica water extract (AWE) on abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) based on serum metabolomics. Firstly, the concentration of main active substances in AWE was determined and the chemical components were identified by UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap-MS/MS. A drug-induced abortion model was established by mifepristone and misoprostol. After administration AWE (2.16 g/kg) for 7 days, the coagulation function, serum hormone levels, H&E staining, and immunohistochemistry observation of uterus were detected. In addition, serum metabolites profiles were performed on ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS). The contents of ferulic acid, senkyunolide A, and ligustilide in AWE were 0.7276, 0.0868, and 1.9908 mg/g, respectively. Twenty-six compounds were identified in AWE. It was found that AWE was effective in regulation of coagulation function and promoting endometrial recovery. Meanwhile, the levels of E2, Pg, and HCG and the expression of ERα, Erβ, and PR were down-regulated in AUB model and up-regulated by the treatment of AWE. Twenty-one potential biomarkers were eventually identified by multivariate statistical analysis. Study indicated that glycerophospholipid, sphingolipid, amino acids, retinol metabolism and primary bile acid biosynthesis were the main related metabolic pathways involved for the treatment of AUB by AWE. The results showed that AWE has potential therapeutic effect on AUB by altering the metabolic aberrations.

The Potential Application of Chinese Medicine in Liver Diseases: A New Opportunity

Liver diseases have been a common challenge for people all over the world, which threatens the quality of life and safety of hundreds of millions of patients. China is a major country with liver diseases. Metabolic associated fatty liver disease, hepatitis B virus and alcoholic liver disease are the three most common liver diseases in our country, and the number of patients with liver cancer is increasing. Therefore, finding effective drugs to treat liver disease has become an urgent task. Chinese medicine (CM) has the advantages of low cost, high safety, and various biological activities, which is an important factor for the prevention and treatment of liver diseases. This review systematically summarizes the potential of CM in the treatment of liver diseases, showing that CM can alleviate liver diseases by regulating lipid metabolism, bile acid metabolism, immune function, and gut microbiota, as well as exerting anti-liver injury, anti-oxidation, and anti-hepatitis virus effects. Among them, Keap1/Nrf2, TGF-β/SMADS, p38 MAPK, NF-κB/IκBα, NF-κB-NLRP3, PI3K/Akt, TLR4-MyD88-NF-κB and IL-6/STAT3 signaling pathways are mainly involved. In conclusion, CM is very likely to be a potential candidate for liver disease treatment based on modern phytochemistry, pharmacology, and genomeproteomics, which needs more clinical trials to further clarify its importance in the treatment of liver diseases.

Angelica Polysaccharide Antagonizes 5-FU-Induced Oxidative Stress Injury to Reduce Apoptosis in the Liver Through Nrf2 Pathway

Oxidative stress induced by chemotherapeutic agents causes hepatotoxicity. 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) has been found to have a variety of side effects, but its toxic effect on the liver and the mechanism are still unclear. Angelica polysaccharide (ASP), the main active ingredient of Dang Gui, has antioxidative stress effects. In this study, we investigated the antagonistic effects of ASP on 5-FU-induced injury in the mouse liver and human normal liver cell line MIHA and the possible mechanism. Our results show that ASP inhibited 5-FU-induced the decrease in Bcl-2 protein and the increase in Bax protein. ASP alleviated 5-FU-induced the increase in alanine aminotransferase (ALT), triglyceride (TG), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) content; hepatic steatosis; and liver fibrosis. ASP restored 5-FU-induced swelling of mitochondria and the endoplasmic reticulum. 5-FU promoted the expression of Keap1 and increased the binding to NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) to reduce the nuclear translocation of Nrf2, thereby weakening the transcriptional activity of Nrf2 to inhibit the expression of HO-1; reducing the activity of GSH, SOD, and CAT to increase ROS content; and aggravating DNA damage (indicated by the increase in 8-OHdG). However, ASP reversed these reactions. In conclusion, ASP attenuated the 5-FU-induced Nrf2 pathway barrier to reduce oxidative stress injury and thereby inhibit the disorder of lipid anabolism and apoptosis. The study provides a new protectant for reducing the hepatic toxicity caused by 5-FU and a novel target for treating the liver injury.

A neutral polysaccharide from Ophiocordyceps lanpingensis restrains cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity

Ophiocordyceps lanpingensis is an edible mushroom distributed over the south-eastern part of the Tibet Plateau, which is also recognized as an effective ethnomedicine to alleviate diseases. This study explored the effects of a kind of Ophiocordyceps lanpingensis neutral polysaccharide (ONP) on RAW264.7 macrophages and cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity. The results showed that ONP relieved the inflammatory response of RAW264.7 macrophages by increasing the expression level of anti-inflammatory factor IL-10. Furthermore, ONP treatment significantly prolonged the survival of the mice treated by cisplatin through decelerating pathological progress and alleviating damaged functions of the kidneys. Compared with the cisplatin group, ONP reduced the oxidative stress of the renal cells and the expression levels of pro-inflammatory factors. Apoptosis of renal cells was also weakened in the ONP treatment group. These findings indicated that ONP alleviated cisplatin nephrotoxicity mainly by inhibiting oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis in the kidneys, underscoring the potential of ONP supplementation to alleviate the side effects of cisplatin chemotherapy.

Extraction, structure, pharmacological activities and drug carrier applications of Angelica sinensis polysaccharide

Angelica sinensis polysaccharide (ASP) is one of the main active components of Angelica sinensis (AS) that is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine. ASP is water-soluble polysaccharides, and it is mainly composed of glucose (Glc), galactose (Gal), arabinose (Ara), rhamnose (Rha), fucose (Fuc), xylose (Xyl) and galacturonic acid (GalUA). The extraction methods of ASP include hot water extraction and ultrasonic wave extraction, and different extraction methods can affect the yield of ASP. ASP has a variety of pharmacological activities, including hematopoietic activity, promoting immunity, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-aging, anti-virus, liver protection, and so on. As a kind of natural polysaccharide, ASP has potential application as drug carriers. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the latest extraction and purification methods of ASP, the strategies used for monosaccharide compositional analysis plus polysaccharide structural characterization, pharmacological activities and drug carrier applications, and it can provide a basis for further study on ASP.