Characterization and immunoregulatory activity of two polysaccharides from the root of Ilex asprella

Advances in Eucommia ulmoides polysaccharides: extraction, purification, structure, bioactivities and applications

Eucommia ulmoides (EU) is a precious tree species native to China originating during the ice age. This species has important economic value and comprehensive development potential, particularly in medicinal applications. The medicinal parts of EU are its bark (Eucommiae cortex) and leaves (Eucommiae folium) which have been successively used as a traditional Chinese medicine to treat diseases since the first century BC. During the last 2 decades, as natural polysaccharides have become of increasing interest in pharmacology, biomedicine, cosmetic and food applications, more and more scholars have begun to study polysaccharides derived from EU as well. EU polysaccharides have been found to have a variety of biological functions both in vivo and in vitro, including immunomodulatory, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticomplementary, antifatigue, and hepatoprotective activities. This review aims to summarize these recent advances in extraction, purification, structural characteristics, pharmacological activities and applications in different fields of EU bark and leaf polysaccharides. It was found that both Eucommiae folium polysaccharides and Eucommiae cortex polysaccharides were suitable for medicinal use. Eucommiae folium may potentially be used to substitute for Eucommiae cortex in terms of immunomodulation and antioxidant activities. This study serves as a valuable reference for improving the comprehensive utilization of EU polysaccharides and further promoting the application of EU polysaccharides.

Structural characteristics of sulfated xylogalactomannan isolated from Caulerpa okamurae and its anticoagulant activity

Due to wonderful taste, rich nutrition and biological functions, many marine green algae in the genus Caulerpa have been recently developed as candidates for green caviar. A novel water-soluble sulfated xylogalactomannan CO-0-1 was obtained from the green algae Caulerpa okamurae. CO-0-1 was mainly composed of mannose (Man), galactose (Gal), and xylose (Xyl) at the ratio of 4.4:4.0:1.4 with the molecular weight at 470 kDa and the sulfate content at 12.78 %. The sulfated xylogalactomannan had Man at the backbone with →4)-β-D-Manp-(1→ and →2)-β-D-Manp-(1→ as the main chain and branches at O-3 position. The side chains contained →3)-β-D-Galp-(1→ and minor →2)-β-D-Xylp(1→. The sulfate groups only distributed at the side chains and at O-6 position of →3)-β-D-Galp-(1→ and O-4 position of (1→2)-β-D-Xylp. The anticoagulant activity indicated that CO-0-1 displayed intrinsic anticoagulant and specific anti-thrombin activities. The investigation expanded the utilization and development scene and scope of the green algae Caulerpa okamurae.

Analyzing the structure-activity relationship of raspberry polysaccharides using interpretable artificial neural network model

The structure-activity relationship has been a hot topic in the field of polysaccharide research. Six polysaccharides and three polysaccharide fragments were obtained from raspberry pulp. Based on their structural information and immune-enhancing activity data, an artificial neural network (ANN) model was used for prediction, and Gradient-weighted class activation mapping (Grad-CAM) algorithm was exploited for explanation structure-activity relationship of these raspberry polysaccharides in the present study. The structural information and immune activity data of raspberry polysaccharides were respectively used as input and output in the ANN model. The training and testing losses of ANN model was no longer decreased after trained for 200 epochs. The mean-square error (MSE) of training set and test set stabilized around 0.003 and 0.013, and the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of training set and test set were 0.21 % and 0.98 %, indicating the trained ANN model converged well and exhibited strong robustness. The interpretability analysis showed that molecular weight, content of arabinose, galactose or galacturonic acid, and glycosyl linkage patterns of →3)-Arap-(1→, Araf-(1→, →4)-Galp-(1 → were the main structural factors greatly affecting the immune-enhancing activity of raspberry polysaccharides. This work may provide a new perspective for the study of structure-activity relationship of polysaccharides.

UPLC-Q-TOF/MS based metabolite profiling and quality marker constituents screening of root, stem and rhizome extracts of Ilex asprella

OBJECTIVE

The root of Ilex asprella (RIA) is a popular plant resource for treating inflammation-related diseases. The purpose of this study was to identify the secondary metabolites, to compare anti-inflammatory effects and to determine the quality marker components among root, stem and rhizome sections of IA.

METHODS

Chemical fingerprints of stem, root and rhizome of IA was determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). A reliable method using ultra performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF/MS) was established for comprehensively determining the chemical constituents of the plants. Anti-inflammatory activities of IA and its ingredients were screened by in vivo mouse ear swelling and in vitro LPS-induced release of NO from RAW264.7 cells experiments.

RESULTS

Root, stem and rhizome of IA have shown high similarity in chemical fingerprints. Totally 149 compounds were characterized in IA, including triterpenoids, triterpenoid saponins, phenolic acids and lignans. 44 of them were identified based on co-occurring Mass2Motifs, including 19 unreported ones, whilst 17 were tentatively confirmed by comparison with reference compounds. No significant anti-inflammatory activity difference among root, stem and rhizome parts of IA was found. Ilexsaponin B2, protocatechualdehyde, isochlorogenic acid B and quinic acid, were screened out as quality marker compounds in IA.

CONCLUSION

A sensitive and rapid strategy was established to evaluate the differences on secondary metabolites of different parts of IA for the first time, and this study may contribute to the quality evaluation of medicinal herbs and provide theoretically data support for further analysis of different parts of IA.

Structural characterization, anti-tumor and immunomodulatory activity of intracellular polysaccharide from Armillaria luteo-virens

Armillaria luteo-virens (A. luteo-virens) is a kind of edible fungus mainly exists in Qinghai-Tibet of China, but at present only very few studies focus on the bioactivities of its polysaccharides. This study aimed to purify and characterize the structure features of a novel intracellular polysaccharide (ALP-A) derived from A. luteo-virens and explore its potential anti-tumor and immunomodulatory activities. Through systematic separation and purification, we obtained a homogeneous ALP-A with an average molecular weight of 23693Da. Structural analysis indicated that ALP-A was mainly composed of glucose and mannose with a molar ratio of 6.02:1. The repeating unit of ALP-A was →4) -α-D-Glcp-(1→ backbone with α-Glcp-(1→ and α-Manp-(6→ side chains which branched at O-2 position. The anti-tumor assays in vivo suggested that ALP-A could effectively restrain S180 solid tumor growth, protect immune organs and promote the secretion of cytokines (IL2, IL6 and TNF-α) in serum. Besides, in vitro immunomodulatory assays indicated that ALP-A could improve proliferation, phagocytic capacity and raise the level of NO and cytokines in Raw264.7 cells. These results demonstrate that ALP-A which possess potential antitumor and immunomodulatory abilities can be developed as a new functional food.

Structural Characterization and Anti-inflammatory Activities of Anticomplementary Polysaccharides from Rhododendron principis

Rhododendron principis leaves have been used as "Dama", a Traditional Tibetan Medicine for treating inflammatory diseases. R. principis crude polysaccharides with anticomplementary activity demonstrated promising anti-inflammatory effects on acute lung injury induced by lipopolysaccharide. R. principis crude polysaccharides significantly decreased the levels of TNF-α and interleukin-6 in both serum and blood and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury mice by intragastric administration (100 mg/kg). A heteropolysaccharide, ZNDHP, was obtained from R. principis crude polysaccharides with successive anticomplementary activity-guided separation. ZNDHP was characterized as a branched neutral polysaccharide with a backbone composed of → 2)-β-Glcp-(1→, → 2,6)-α-Glcp-(1→, → 6,3)-β-Galp-(1→, → 2,6)-α-Galp-(1→, → 6,2)-β-Glcp-(1→, → 4)-α-Glcp-(1→, → 5)-β-Araf-(1→, → 3,5)-α-Araf-(1→, and → 4,6)-β-Manp-(1→, and the backbone structure was further confirmed by partial acid hydrolysis. In addition to anticomplementary and antioxidant activities, ZNDHP exhibited potent anti-inflammatory activity by significantly inhibiting the secretion of nitric oxide, TNF-α, interleukin-6, and interleukin-1β of lipopolysaccharide-treated RAW 264.7 cells. However, all of these activities decreased greatly after partially hydrolyzing, indicating the importance of the multibranched structure for its bioactivity. Therefore, ZNDHP might be an important component of R. principis for treating inflammation.

Ethnobotanical Survey on Bitter Tea in Taiwan

Ethnopharmacological evidence: In Taiwan, herbal tea is considered a traditional medicine and has been consumed for hundreds of years. In contrast to regular tea, herbal teas are prepared using plants other than the regular tea plant, Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze. Bitter tea (kǔ-chá), a series of herbal teas prepared in response to common diseases in Taiwan, is often made from local Taiwanese plants. However, the raw materials and formulations have been kept secret and verbally passed down by store owners across generations without a fixed recipe, and the constituent plant materials have not been disclosed.

Aim of the study: The aim was to determine the herbal composition of bitter tea sold in Taiwan, which can facilitate further studies on pharmacological applications and conserve cultural resources.

Materials and methods: Interviews were conducted through a semi-structured questionnaire. The surveyed respondents were traditional sellers of traditional herbal tea. The relevant literature was collated for a systematic analysis of the composition, characteristics, and traditional and modern applications of the plant materials used in bitter tea. We also conducted an association analysis of the composition of Taiwanese bitter tea with green herb tea (qing-cao-cha tea), another commonly consumed herbal tea in Taiwan, as well as herbal teas in neighboring areas outside Taiwan.

Results: After visiting a total of 59 stores, we identified 32 bitter tea formulations and 73 plant materials. Asteraceae was the most commonly used family, and most stores used whole plants. According to a network analysis of nine plant materials used in high frequency as drug pairs, Tithonia diversifolia and Ajuga nipponensis were found to be the core plant materials used in Taiwanese bitter tea.

Conclusion: Plant materials used in Taiwanese bitter tea were distinct, with multiple therapeutic functions. Further research is required to clarify their efficacy and mechanisms.

Structural Characterization of a Neutral Polysaccharide from Cucurbia moschata and Its Uptake Behaviors in Caco-2 Cells

A neutral pumpkin polysaccharide (NPPc) was extracted from Cucurbia moschata and its structural characterization is performed. Moreover, uptake behaviors of an NPPC were investigated at the cellular level. The results showed that NPPc, an average molecular weight (Mw) of 9.023 kDa, was linear (1→4)-α-D-Glcp residues in the backbone, which branched point at O-6 position of (1→4,6)-α-D-Glcp. The side chain contained (1→6)-α-D-Glcp and terminal glucose. The cellular uptake kinetics results showed that the uptake of fluorescent-labeled NPPc was in time- and dose-dependent manners in Caco-2 cells. For subcellular localization of NPPc, it was accumulated in endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondrion. This study illustrates the characteristics on the uptake of NPPc and provides a rational basis for the exploration of polysaccharides absorption in intestinal epithelium.

Structural elucidation and immunomodulatory evaluation of a polysaccharide from Stevia rebaudiana leaves

Stevia rebaudiana, a sweetener with medicinal functions, has attracted extensive attention due to its application in food and pharmaceutical fields. However, a few studies were performed to explore polysaccharides in this plant. Herein, SRP70-1 was derived from S. rebaudiana. Structural analysis (monosaccharide composition analysis, high-performance liquid chromatography-multi-angle light scattering detection, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy) revealed that SRP70-1 was composed of mannose, glucose, galactose, and arabinose at the molar ratio of 1.35:1.00:3.23:3.47, with an absolute molecular weight of 7698 Da. SRP70-1 was found to contain → 5)-α-l-Araf-(1→, →2,3,5)-α-l-Araf-(1→, →4)-β-l-Arap-(1→, →4)-β-d-Galp-(1→, →6)-β-d-Galp-(1→, →4)-β-d-Manp-(1→, →6)-β-d-Manp-(1→, and terminal α-l-Araf, β-d-Galp, and β-d-Glcp residues. Cell experiments showed that SRP70-1 could significantly promote phagocytosis and increase the release of nitric oxide and cytokines including IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α. Further zebrafish experiments confirmed the immunological enhancement effects of SRP70-1. This study revealed that SRP70-1 may be useful for the development of functional foods.

Potential Application of Plant-Based Functional Foods in the Development of Immune Boosters

Immune dysfunction, which is responsible for the development of human diseases including cancer, is caused by a variety of factors. Therefore, regulation of the factors influencing the immune response is a potentially effective strategy to counter diseases. Presently, several immune adjuvants are used in clinical practice to enhance the immune response and host defense ability; however, synthetic drugs can exert negative side effects. Thus, the search for natural products of plant origin as new leads for the development of potent and safe immune boosters is gaining considerable research interest. Plant-based functional foods have been shown to exert several immunomodulatory effects in humans; therefore, the application of new agents to enhance immunological and specific host defenses is a promising approach. In this comprehensive review, we have provided an up-to-date report on the use as well as the known and potential mechanisms of bioactive compounds obtained from plant-based functional foods as natural immune boosters. Plant-based bioactive compounds promote immunity through multiple mechanisms, including influencing the immune organs, cellular immunity, humoral immunity, nonspecific immunity, and immune-related signal transduction pathways. Enhancement of the immune response in a natural manner represents an excellent prospect for disease prevention and treatment and is worthy of further research and development using approaches of modern science and technology.

Structural characterization of a novel Schisandra polysaccharides and nutritional intervention in immunotoxicity to PCBs

A new polysaccharide from fruits of Schisandra chinensis (SCPP22) with a molecular weight of 143 ± 0.13 KDa was mainly made up of glucose and galactose. The possible structure of SCPP22 was showed that its main chain was composed of 1,4-α-d-Glup and branch was stretched from O-6 position of 1,4-β-d-Glup. Branches consisted of T-α-d-Galp. Further, SCPP22 could reverse PCB126-induced immunosuppression, significantly enhance body weight and immune organ indices. It also significantly ameliorated oxidative injury to immune organ induced by PCB126, as shown by evaluation of SOD activities, as well as MDA levels in spleen and thymus. SCPP22 strongly stimulated cytokines production by up-regulating mRNA expression of TNF-α, INF-γ and IL-2. Mechanism investigation revealed that recovery effects of SCPP22 in immunosuppression induced by PCB126 are mainly through regulating apoptosis-related proteins expression. Schisandra polysaccharides might be applied in functional food as nutritional intervention ingredient.

Structural characterization and antioxidant activities of one neutral polysaccharide and three acid polysaccharides from the roots of Arctium lappa L.: A comparison

In this work, we comparatively analyzed the structure and antioxidant activities of different polysaccharide fractions from Arctium lappa L. A total of four water-soluble polysaccharide fractions (ALP-1, ALP-2, ALP-3 and ALP-4) were obtained from the roots of Arctium lappa L. They differed in monosaccharide composition, molecular weight and linkage mode. ALP-1 and ALP-2 mainly consisted of fructose, with average molecular weights of 2.676 × 10³ and 2.503 × 10⁴ g/mol, respectively. ALP-3 and ALP-4 were mainly composed of fructose, arabinose and galactose, with average molecular weights of 9.709 × 10⁴ and 6.790 × 10⁴ g/mol, respectively. Furthermore, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, methylation analysis and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy suggested that the main polysaccharide ALP-1 had a linear chain of (1 → 2)-linked β-D-Fructofuranosyl backbone (n ≈ 15) linked to a terminal (1 → 2)-linked α-d-Glucopyranosyl at the non-reducing end. All five polysaccharides displayed high antioxidant ability, especially ALP-4 in H₂O₂-induced HepG2 cell model and ALP-1 in metronidazole [MET]-induced zebrafish model. These findings provided comparative information on the structure and biological activity of different burdock polysaccharides and highlighted their potential as antioxidants in functional foods.

Characterization and Hepatoprotections of Ganoderma lucidum Polysaccharides against Multiple Organ Dysfunction Syndrome in Mice

Background

The liver is one of the most commonly affected organs in multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS). In recent years, there have been many studies on Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides (GLP), but the role of GLP in MODS is still unclear. The purpose of this work was to explore the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and protective effects of GLP on the liver in MODS model mice.

Methods

The characteristic properties of GLP were processed by physicochemical analysis. The MODS models were successfully established with intraperitoneal injection of zymosan in Kunming strain mice. The antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and hepatoprotective effects of GLP were processed both in vitro and in vivo by evaluating the oxidative parameters, inflammatory factors, and liver pathological observations.

Results

The characterization analysis revealed that GLP was a pyranose mainly composed of glucose with the molecular weights (Mw) of 8309 Da. The experimental results proved that GLP had potential hepatoprotection possibly by improving the antioxidant status (scavenging excessive oxygen radicals, increasing the antioxidant enzyme activities, and reducing the lipid peroxide), alleviating the inflammatory response (reducing the inflammatory factor levels), and guaranteeing the liver functions.

Conclusions

This research suggested that GLP had the potential to be developed as a natural medicine for the treatment of multiple organ failure.

Polysaccharides obtained from natural edible sources and their role in modulating the immune system: Biologically active potential that can be exploited against COVID-19

BACKGROUND

The global crisis caused by the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, better known as COVID-19, brought the need to improve the population's immunity. The foods rich in polysaccharides with immunomodulation properties are among the most highly rated to be used as immune response modulators. Thus, the use of polysaccharides obtained from food offers an innovative strategy to prevent serious side effects of viral infections.

SCOPE AND APPROACH

This review revisits the current studies on the pathophysiology of SARS-CoV-2, its characteristics, target cell interactions, and the possibility of using polysaccharides from functional foods as activators of the immune response. Several natural foods are explored for the possibility of being used to obtain polysaccharides with immunomodulatory potential. And finally, we address expectations for the use of polysaccharides in the development of potential therapies and vaccines.

KEY FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS

The negative consequences of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic across the world are unprecedented, thousands of lives lost, increasing inequalities, and incalculable economic losses. On the other hand, great scientific advances have been made regarding the understanding of the disease and forms of treatment. Polysaccharides, due to their characteristics, have the potential to be used as potential drugs with the ability to modulate the immune response. In addition, they can be used safely, as they have no toxic effects, are biocompatible and biodegradable. Finally, these biopolymers can still be used in the development of new therapies and vaccines.

Antioxidation, anti-hyperlipidaemia and hepatoprotection of polysaccharides from Auricularia auricular residue

As hyperlipidemia was a pathological progress by lipid dysfunctions, the present object was to investigate the hypolipidemic and hepatoprotective effects of Auricularia auricular residue polysaccharides (RPS) against HFE (high-fat emulsion) toxicities in mice. The structure analysis showed that the RPS was pyranose-polysaccharides mainly composed of glucose with the weight-average molecular weight of 2.00 × 10⁵ Da. The in vivo experiments demonstrated that the RPS had potential hepatoprotections by enhancing the antioxidant and anti-hyperlipidaemia status, and could inhibit the increasing body weights. Besides, the RPS could improve the glucose utilization with the oral glucose tolerance test (120 min) of 5.04 ± 0.12 mmol/L at the dose of 400 mg/kg bw. The results in present study demonstrated that RPS could be used as a functional foods and natural medicines against the HFE-induced hyperlipidemia and its complications.

Sulfated modification, characterization, immunomodulatory activities and mechanism of the polysaccharides from Cyclocarya paliurus on dendritic cells

In this study, a crude and purified polysaccharide from Cyclocarya paliurus (CPP, CPP_0.05) were performed with chlorosulfonic acid-pyridine (CSA-Pyr) method to obtain sulfated derivatives (S-CPP, S-CPP_0.05). After comparatively investigating, characterization results showed that the modifications were successful. Polysaccharides were used to culture mouse bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BM-DCs) to evaluate their immunomodulatory activity and explore mechanism. The functional activity of CPP was significantly stronger than that of the purified polysaccharide CPP_0.05. Meanwhile, S-CPP showed stronger immunomodulatory activity than CPP through determination of cytokine expression levels. We found that p-JNK, p-p38MAPK and NF-κB p65 proteins were significantly increased by stimulus of CPP and S-CPP, blocking TLR2/4 could significantly decreased proteins above which proved that immune regulation effect of CPP and S-CPP on DCs was performed via MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathways by triggering TLR2/4. S-CPP could serve as potential immunomodulatory agents used as complementary medicine or functional foods.

Bioactive Compounds from Plant-Based Functional Foods: A Promising Choice for the Prevention and Management of Hyperuricemia

Hyperuricemia is a common metabolic disease that is caused by high serum uric acid levels. It is considered to be closely associated with the development of many chronic diseases, such as obesity, hypertension, hyperlipemia, diabetes, and cardiovascular disorders. While pharmaceutical drugs have been shown to exhibit serious side effects, and bioactive compounds from plant-based functional foods have been demonstrated to be active in the treatment of hyperuricemia with only minimal side effects. Indeed, previous reports have revealed the significant impact of bioactive compounds from plant-based functional foods on hyperuricemia. This review focuses on plant-based functional foods that exhibit a hypouricemic function and discusses the different bioactive compounds and their pharmacological effects. More specifically, the bioactive compounds of plant-based functional foods are divided into six categories, namely flavonoids, phenolic acids, alkaloids, saponins, polysaccharides, and others. In addition, the mechanism by which these bioactive compounds exhibit a hypouricemic effect is summarized into three classes, namely the inhibition of uric acid production, improved renal uric acid elimination, and improved intestinal uric acid secretion. Overall, this current and comprehensive review examines the use of bioactive compounds from plant-based functional foods as natural remedies for the management of hyperuricemia.

An Ethnobotanical Study on Qīng-Căo-Chá Tea in Taiwan

Herbal tea, a beverage prepared from a variety of plant materials excluding the leaves of the tea plant Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze of the family Theaceae, for a long time, has been consumed by most Chinese people for preventive and/or therapeutic health care. Usually, it is brewed or prepared as a decoction of local plants in water. The qīng-căo-chá tea, a commercial herbal tea, is the most common among many differently formulated herbal teas in Taiwan. For hundreds of years, qīng-căo-chá tea has played an important role in the prevention and treatment of diseases associated with the environmental conditions in Taiwan. However, research studies in this field have been insufficient. The raw material formulas of qīng-căo-chá tea have always been passed down from “masters” to “apprentices.” Hence, there is no systematic collation or record, and, therefore, there is a need to assess and confirm the composition, safety, and effectiveness of the raw materials. This study aimed to document the uses of Taiwan's qīng-căo-chá tea through a semi-structured interview survey and investigate the background of traditional practitioners, tea compositions, and plant origins and uses. This will improve our understanding of the knowledge inherited by the practitioners and the theoretical basis of the medicinal uses of these teas. In our field investigation, we visited 86 shops and assessed 71 raw ingredients of qīng-căo-chá tea. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to conduct the interviews. During the interviews, in addition to written records, audio and video recordings were made, and photographs were taken with the permission of the interviewees. The qīng-căo-chá raw materials have long been used as herbal teas, although more research should clarify their efficacy and safety. Traditional sellers of qīng-căo-chá tea were mainly males, and most shops have been in operation for more than 71 years. Some of the raw materials were derived from multiple sources, including different plants, and were often mixed without any safety concerns. To our knowledge, this is the first systematic ethnobotanical study on qīng-căo-chá tea that assesses and confirms its herbal ingredients. Our study represents a reference for herbal teas in Taiwan that can be used by the public and regulatory agencies.

Purification, structural elucidation and in vivo immunity-enhancing activity of polysaccharides from quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) seeds

Quinoa crude polysaccharides (QPS) were extracted from Chenopodium quinoa Willd. The soluble non-starch polysaccharide fraction (QPS1) was subsequently purified by DEAE-52 cellulose and Sephadex G-50 gel chromatography, using QPS as raw materials. Its chemical structure was identified using FT-IR, NMR, AFM, SEM and Congo red staining. High performance gel permeation chromatography (HPGPC) was used to determine molecular weight, and composition by HPLC. QPS1, with a molecular weight of 34.0 kDa, was mainly composed of mannose, rhamnose, galacturonic acid, glucose, galactose, xylose and arabinose at a molar ratio of 2.63:2.40:1.64:6.28:1.95:2.48:5.01. In addition, we evaluated the ameliorative effects of QPS1 on the improvement of anti-cyclophosphamide (CTX)-induced immunosuppression in ICR mice. The result exhibited significantly immune-enhancing activity: QPS1 successfully improved the content of IFN-γ, IL-6, IFN-ɑ, IgM and lysozyme (LYSO) in serum for three weeks, enhanced the phagocytic function of mononuclear macrophages and ameliorated delayed allergy in mice.

Characterization of a polysaccharide with antioxidant and anti-cervical cancer potentials from the corn silk cultivated in Jilin province

Corn silk polysaccharides (CSPs) were extracted from the corn silk cultivated in Jilin province, China, where is one of the golden corn belts worldwide. Three fractions (CSP-1, CSP-2 and CSP-3) were obtained by DEAE-52 cellulose and the former two fractions were further purified by Sephadex G-150 column chromatography to obtain CSP-S-1 and CSP-S-2. The molecular weights of CSP-S-1 and CSP-S-2 were calculated to be 586 kDa and 813 kDa, respectively. CSP-S-1 was composed of galactose, arabinose, xylose and rhamnose at a molar ratio of 4.16:1.00:1.01:6.32 and CSP-S-2 was composed of galactose, arabinose, glucose and rhamnose at a molar ratio of 8.71:3.58:0.169:1.00. CSP-S-2 outperformed CSP-S-1 in scavenging DPPH, ABTS and hydroxyl radicals, and significantly inhibited the proliferation of HeLa cells. IR and NMR analysis indicated that CSP-S-2 was pyranose. CSP-S-2 consisted of 1 → 4 and 1 → 6 linkages and exhibited a triple helix configuration. In summary, CSP-S-2 possesses high potential to be developed as a novel antioxidant and anti-cervical cancer agent.

Structure characterization and immunomodulatory activity of a new neutral polysaccharide SMP-0b from Solanum muricatum

In the present study, a novel neutral polysaccharide SMP-0b was extracted and purified from the pulp of Solanum muricatum. Monosaccharide composition analysis revealed that SMP-0b was mainly composed of l-arabinose, d-mannose, d-glucose and d-galactose with the molar ratio of 5.31:2.92:42.23:25.38. The weight-average molecular weight and number-average molecular weight of SMP-0b was calculated to be 13.51 kDa and 9.91 kDa respectively through high performance gel permeation chromatography. The structure of SMP-0b was characterized by methylation and NMR analysis. It showed that the backbone chain of SMP-0b was consisted of →4)-β-d-Galp-(1→, →3,6)-β-d-Manp-(1→ and →6)-α-d-Glcp-(1→, and the side chain was composed of α-l-Araf-(1→ and →4)-α-d-Glcp-(1→. In immunomodulation assays in vitro, SMP-0b exhibited good immunomodulatory activity and could significantly stimulate proliferation and NO production of RAW 264.7 macrophage cells. The results suggested that the neutral polysaccharide from Solanum muricatum might have potential as an immunomodulator or supplement in functional food to enhance immunity.

A mild and efficient extraction method for polysaccharides from Sinonovacula constricta and study of their structural characteristic and antioxidant activities

The aim of this paper is to develop a mild and efficient extraction method for polysaccharides from Sinonovacula constricta (SCP) using enzyme extraction, and analyze the structural characteristics and antioxidant activities of the two purified polysaccharide fractions (SCP-1 and SCP-2). Firstly, enzyme extraction conditions were optimized, and the conditions were found to be, as follows: enzymolysis time 173.0 min, pH 8.2, enzymolysis temperature 50.0 ℃ and enzyme content 4.0%. Comparison between enzymatic extraction and water extraction was obtained from visual, UV-visible and IR spectrum images. The results clearly indicate that there is no significant difference between them with regard to the composition of the SCP fraction, but the polysaccharide content produced by enzymatic extraction is higher. Then, the physicochemical properties and structural characteristics of SCP-1 and SCP-2 were investigated using FT-TR, UV, GC and HPGPC. The carbohydrate content, sulfuric radicals and uronic acids of the two fractions were detected. Both SCP-1 and SCP-2 were mainly consisted of glucose, but their molecular weights were different. In addition, compared the Fe²⁺ chelating activity, ABTS⁺ radical and superoxide radical scavenging activity, and lipid peroxidation inhibition activity of SCP-1 and SCP-2, it turned out that SCP-2 had stronger antioxidant activity than SCP-1.

A fructan from Anemarrhena asphodeloides Bunge showing neuroprotective and immunoregulatory effects

A novel polysaccharide, AAP70-1, was isolated from Anemarrhena asphodeloides for the first time. The primary structural analysis revealed that AAP70-1 was composed of glucose and fructose, had an absolute molecular weight of 2720 Da, and contained a (2→6)-linked β-D-fructofuranose (Fruf) backbone and a (2→1,6)-linked β-D-Fruf side chain with an internal α-D-glucopyranose (Glcp) in the form of a neokestose. To explore the potential factors responsible for the medicinally relevant bioactivities of A. asphodeloides, a biological assay was performed. Using flow cytometry analysis, AAP70-1 was experimentally shown to have neuroprotective effects, and it can prevent and ameliorate neurological damage via reducing apoptosis. The immunomodulation assay further revealed that AAP70-1 can significantly improve immune function by promoting phagocytic capacity and the secretion of cytokines (IL-6, IL-1β and TNF-α) in RAW264.7 cells. These results suggest that AAP70-1 has potential as a therapeutic agent for central nervous system diseases or as an immunomodulatory agent.

The ameliorations of Ganoderma applanatum residue polysaccharides against CCl4 induced liver injury

This work investigated the protective effects of Ganoderma applanatum residue polysaccharides (GRP) on the CCl₄-induced hepatotoxicity. The results indicated that GRP showed significantly effects on preventing the increase of AST, ALT and ALP levels in serum, elevating the activities of SOD, GSH-Px and CAT, decreasing the contents of MDA and LPO, and reducing the CYP2E1 and TGF-β concentrations in CCl₄-induced mice, respectively. Meanwhile, the levels of TNF-α and IL-6 were significantly decreased, while the value of IL-10 was increased by GRP treatment. Besides, the western blot assay showed the IκBα expressions were significantly increased and the p-p65 was decreased by the treatment with GRP. The characterizations indicated that the GRP was heteropolysaccharide with lower molecular weights and α-furanoside residues. These results demonstrated that GRP might be a potential material for drug and functional food development against chemical hepatic injury.

Eleven New Triterpenoid Glycosides from the Roots of Ilex asprella

Asprellosides A-K, nine new ursane-type triterpenoid glycosides (1-9), and two new oleanane-type triterpenoid glycosides (10 and 11), including six rare sulfated triterpenoid glycosides, were isolated from the roots of Ilex asprella. Their structures were determined on the basis of comprehensive spectroscopic analysis and chemical methods. Among these compounds, asprelloside B (2) and asprelloside C (3) are the first examples of triterpenoid glycosides bearing a rare 3,4-O-disulfo-xylopyranosyl residue. All the saponins isolated showed no significant effects against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide production in Raw264.7 macrophages.

Physicochemical, Structural, and Biological Properties of Polysaccharides from Dandelion

The edible and medicinal perennial herb dandelion is known to have antitumor, antioxidant, and anticomplement properties. However, the structural characterization and biological effects of its polysaccharides are not well understood. Here, we aimed to extract and investigate a novel polysaccharide from dandelion. A water-soluble polysaccharide, PD1-1, was successfully obtained from dandelion through ultrasonic-assisted extraction and purification using diethylaminoethyl (DEAE)–Sepharose fast flow and Sephadex G-75 columns. The results showed that PD1-1 is an inulin-type polysaccharide with a molecular weight of 2.6 kDa and is composed of glucose (52.39%), and mannose (45.41%). Glycosidic linkage analysis demonstrated that PD1-1 contains terminal α-d-Man/Glcp-(1→ and →1)-β-d-Man/Glcf-(2→ glycosidic linkage conformations. A physicochemical analysis indicated that PD1-1 has a triple helix structure and exhibits important properties, including good swelling, water-holding, and oil-holding capacities. Furthermore, PD1-1 showed good antioxidant activities in DPPH and hydroxyl free radical scavenging abilities, with IC₅₀ values of 0.23 mg/mL and 0.25 mg/mL, respectively, and good hypoglycemic activities in α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibition, with IC₅₀ values of 0.53 mg/mL and 0.40 mg/mL, respectively, in a concentration-dependent manner. Results suggest that PD1-1 possesses efficacious antioxidant and hypoglycemic properties and has potential applications as a functional food ingredient.

Reprogramming Tumor Associated Macrophage Phenotype by a Polysaccharide from Ilex asprella for Sarcoma Immunotherapy

We report here the discovery of an acidic polysaccharide, namely IAPS-2, from the root of Ilex asprella, with anti-tumor activity via a repolarizing tumor associated macrophages (TAMs) phenotype. We obtained IAPS-2 polysaccharide from this herb based on acidity and found that IAPS-2 expressed the activity of promoting the secretion of anti-tumor cytokines in macrophages. Furthermore, we evaluated its anti-tumor effect on TAM cells, through the activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) signaling. In particular, in the tumor murine model, IAPS-2 demonstrated that it could significantly inhibit the growth of tumors via modulating the function of TAMs and increase the animal survival rate. In summary, IAPS-2, with a clearly illustrated chemical composition, potent anti-tumor activity, and a solid mechanism of action, may be developed into a valuable therapeutic tool for cancer immunotherapy.

Therapeutic effects of polysaccharides from Anoectochilus roxburghii on type II collagen-induced arthritis in rats

Anoectochilus roxburghii, a famous Chinese herbal medicine, has been commonly used for the treatment of liver disease, diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis. Our study aimed to investigate the anti-rheumatoid arthritis effects of A. roxburghii polysaccharides (ARP), using the rat's model of type II collagen-induced arthritis (CIA). ARP was prepared by alcohol sedimentation and structurally characterized based on combined chemical, chromatographic and spectroscopic methods. High Performance Size Exclusion Chromatography-Multiangle Laser Light Scattering-Refrative Index (HPSEC-MALLS-RI) analysis revealed that ARP includes two peaks, and the weight-average molecular weight (Mw) of the principal one was estimated as 5.90 kDa with a relative content of 98.2%. Pharmacological results exhibited that ARP significantly decreased the arthritis index and ameliorated the inflammatory cell infiltration and the synovial tissue destruction in CIA rats. Additionally, ARP possessed significant NO production inhibitory effects and antioxidant activity. Further anti-inflammatory mechanism investigations indicated that ARP significantly inhibited the activation of nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) pathway by suppressing the phosphorylation of IκB and p65, which subsequently down-regulated the mRNA expressions of IL-1β and IL-6 in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. These findings suggested that ARP has great potential in the development of functional foods and dietary supplements for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.