Pectin isolated from white cabbage – structure and complement-fixing activity

VOLKSMED Database: A Source for Forgotten Wound Healing Plants in Austrian Folk Medicine

The global increase in the incidence of wounds is concerning and fuels the search for new treatment options. The use of traditional medicinal plants in wound healing represents an appreciated available therapeutic possibility. This work introduces the VOLKSMED database, which contains plants and other materials used in Austrian folk medicine, either as monographs or mixtures. This work focuses on the monographs of the database. Concerning wound healing, Hypericum sp., Arnica montana, Calendula officinalis, Plantago sp., and Malva sp. are the most commonly used plants. The focus of this paper is set on selected lesser-known plants (Abies alba, Anthyllis vulneraria, Brassica sp., Gentiana sp., Larix decidua, Picea abies, Sambucus sp., Sanicula europaea) and their status quo in literature concerning wound healing. A systematic search using the databases SciFinder, SCOPUS, and PubMed yielded substantial evidence for the wound healing potential of Brassica sp., Gentiana sp., the Pinaceae A. abies, L. decidua, and P. abies, as well as Sambucus nigra. In vivo and clinical studies substantiate their use in Austrian folk medicine. According to the literature, especially A. vulneraria, Sambucus racemosa, and S. europaea would be worth investigating in-depth since data concerning their wound healing effects - even though scarce - are convincing. In conclusion, the VOLKSMED database contains promising opportunities for further treatment options in the field of wound healing. Future research should consider the listed plants to support their traditional use in Austrian folk medicine and possibly promote the implementation of old knowledge in modern medicine.

Structure-function relationships of pectic polysaccharides from broccoli by-products with in vitro B lymphocyte stimulatory activity

To study structure-function relationships of pectic polysaccharides with their immunostimulatory activity, broccoli by-products were used. Pectic polysaccharides composed by 64 mol% uronic acids, 18 mol% Ara, and 10 mol% Gal, obtained by hot water extraction, activated B lymphocytes in vitro (25-250 μg/mL). To disclose active structural features, combinations of ethanol and chromatographic fractionation and modification of the polysaccharides were performed. Polysaccharides insoluble in 80 % ethanol (Et80) showed higher immunostimulatory activity than the pristine mixture, which was independent of molecular weight range (12-400 kDa) and removal of terminal or short Ara side chains. Chemical sulfation did not promote B lymphocyte activation. However, the action of pectin methylesterase and endo-polygalacturonase on hot water extracted polysaccharides produced an acidic fraction with a high immunostimulatory activity. The de-esterified homogalacturonan region seem to be an important core to confer pectic polysaccharides immunostimulatory activity. Therefore, agri-food by-products are a source of pectic polysaccharide functional food ingredients.

Characterization of a pectic polysaccharide from the leaves of Diospyros kaki and its modulating activity on lymphocyte proliferation

Pectin is a group of carbohydrate polymers constructing the primary cell walls and the middle lamella of terrestrial plants. Herein, we demonstrated the structure and immunomodulatory activity of the major pectic polysaccharide DL-3B(2) isolated from the leaves of Diospyros kaki. Based on composition analysis, methylation analysis, two-step acid hydrolysis, lithium-mediated selective degradation, (13)C NMR spectroscopy, and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, DL-3B(2) was found to contain an alpha-1, 4-linked galacturonic acid (GalA) backbone with some insertions of alpha-1, 2-linked rhamnose residues. The arabinan- and arabinogalactan-side chains were attached to O-4 of the rhamnose residues, whereas the linear arabinoxylan was probably linked to O-3 of the GalA residues. Immunological tests in vitro showed that DL-3B(2) could help stimulate lipopolysaccharide-induced B lymphocyte proliferation, but not ConA-induced T lymphocyte proliferation, and that the arabinose residues play a role in maintaining this immunological activity.