Physiochemical changes and mechanisms of anti-inflammation effect of sulfated polysaccharides from ammonium sulfate feeding of Antrodia cinnamomea

Polysaccharides from fruit and vegetable wastes and their food applications: A review

Fruit and vegetables are a great source of nutrients and have numerous health benefits. The fruit and vegetable industry produces enormous amounts of waste such as peels, seeds, and stems. The amount of this waste production has increased, causing economic and environmental problems. Fruit and vegetable wastes (FVWs) have the potential to be recovered and used to produce high-value goods. Furthermore, FVWs have a large variety and quantity of polysaccharides, which makes them interesting to study for potential industrial use. Currently, the investigations on extracting polysaccharides from FVWs and examining how they affect human health are increasing. The present review focuses on polysaccharides from FVWs such as starch, pectin, cellulose, and inulin, and their various biological activities such as anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, anti-diabetic, antioxidant, and antimicrobial. Additionally, applications as packaging material, gelling agent, emulsifier, prebiotic, and fat replacer of polysaccharides from FVWs in the food industry have been viewed in detail. As a result, FVWs can be reused as the source of polysaccharides, reducing environmental pollution and enabling sustainable green development. Further investigation of the biological activities of polysaccharides from FVWs on human health is of great importance for using these polysaccharides in food applications.

Advanced culture strategy shows varying bioactivities of sulfated polysaccharides of Poria cocos

This study compares the bioactivity of six sulfated polysaccharides derived from glucose- and sucrose-feeding extracted from P. cocos. Anti-inflammatory potentials of these polysaccharides were evaluated by pretreating lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation in RAW264.7 cells. Of the tested polysaccharides, the sulfated polysaccharide derived from sucrose-feeding at the concentration of 40 g/l (referred to as "suc 40") exhibited the highest anti-inflammatory activity, of 83 %, and 33 % inhibition of IL-6 and TNF-α secretion, respetively. It achieved this by inhibiting the p-38 and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) MAPK signaling pathways. On the other hand, the sulfated polysaccharide derived from glucose-feeding at a concentration of 20 g/l (referred to as "glc 20") demonstrated the greatest anti-lung cancer activity. This was achieved by inducing apoptotic-related molecules, such as poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and CHOP. Furthermore, glc 20 had the highest contents of sulfate, fucose, and mannose compared to the other tested polysaccharides. This suggests that the composition of monosaccharide residues are critical factors influencing the anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activities of these sulfated polysaccharides. Overall, this study highlights the potential of sulfated polysaccharides derived from P. cocos to function as bioactive compounds with anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties.

Antrodia cinnamomea May Interfere with the Interaction Between ACE2 and SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein in vitro and Reduces Lung Inflammation in a Hamster Model of COVID-19

Purpose

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) poses a global health challenge with widespread transmission. Growing concerns about vaccine side effects, diminishing efficacy, and religious-based hesitancy highlight the need for alternative pharmacological approaches. Our study investigates the impact of the ethanol extract of Antrodia cinnamomea (AC), a native medicinal fungus from Taiwan, on COVID-19 in both in vitro and in vivo contexts.

Methods

We measured the mRNA and protein levels of angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) in human lung cells using real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting, respectively. Additionally, we determined the enzymatic activity of ACE2 using the fluorogenic peptide substrate Mca-YVADAPK(Dnp)-OH. To assess the impact of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, we used SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus infections in human embryonic kidney 293T cells expressing ACE2 to measure infection rates. Furthermore, we evaluated the in vivo efficacy of AC in mitigating COVID-19 by conducting experiments on hamsters infected with the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2.

Results

AC effectively decreased ACE2 mRNA and protein levels, a critical host receptor for the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, in human lung cells. It also prevented the spike protein from binding to human lung cells. Dehydrosulphurenic acid, an isolate from AC, directly inhibited ACE2 protease activity with an inhibitory constant of 1.53 µM. In vitro experiments showed that both AC and dehydrosulphurenic acid significantly reduced the infection rate of SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus. In hamsters infected with the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2, oral administration of AC reduced body weight loss and improved lung injury. Notably, AC also inhibited IL-1β expression in both macrophages and the lung tissues of SARS-CoV-2-infected hamsters.

Conclusion

AC shows potential as a nutraceutical for reducing the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection by disrupting the interaction between ACE2 and the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, and for preventing COVID-19-associated lung inflammation.

ZnF3, a sulfated polysaccharide from Antrodia cinnamomea, inhibits lung cancer cells via induction of apoptosis and activation of M1-like macrophage-induced cell death

Sulfated polysaccharides (Ac-SPSs) of Antrodia cinnamomea present anti-cancer activity. However, the anti-cancer mechanism of Ac-SPSs is not fully understood and remains largely unexplored. In this study, we identify an Ac-SPS with 7.9 kDa, noted ZnF3, and aim to examine the dual anti-cancer functions of ZnF3 on inhibiting cancer cells and activating macrophages. A biological study shows that ZnF3 inhibits lung cancer cells by inducing subG1 population and apoptosis. ZnF3 downregulates the expression of TGFβ receptor in lung cancer cells. In parallel, ZnF3 activates macrophages via induction of TNF-α and IL-6 secretion, NO production and phagocytosis. ZnF3 activates AKT/mTOR pathway and induces M1 type macrophage polarization. Cancer cells co-cultured with ZnF3-stimulated macrophages, leading to inhibition of lung cancer cells. This study demonstrates that ZnF3 not only directly inhibits cancer cells but also activates macrophages-mediated cytotoxic effect on cancer cells. Moreover, ZnF3 may be a supplement for suppressing lung cancer cells.

A branched 2-O sulfated 1,3-/1,4-galactoglucan from Antrodia cinnamomea exhibits moderate antiproliferative and anti-inflammatory activities

A sulfated galactoglucan (3-SS) was discovered in Antrodia cinnamomea with antiproliferative and anti-inflammatory activities. Chemical identification of 3-SS resulted in the determination of a partial repeat unit as a 2-O sulfated 1,3-/1,4-linked galactoglucan with a two-residual 1,6-O-β-Glc branch on the 3-O position of a Glc. by monosaccharide analysis and 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy. The anti-inflammation effects of 3-SS on RAW264.7 macrophage cells, such as IL-6 inhibition, restoration of LPS-induced IκB protein degradation, and inhibited LPS-induced TGFRII protein degradation, were confirmed to occur via AKT, ERK1/2, and p-38. In addition, 3-SS impaired the proliferation of H1975 lung cancer cells through EGFR/ERK/slug signaling. This is the first finding of 2-O sulfated 1,3-/1,4-galactoglucan with 1,6-β-Glc branches with dual functions of anti-inflammatory and antiproliferative activities.

SPS, a sulfated galactoglucan of Laetiporus sulphureus, exhibited anti-inflammatory activities

Laetiporus sulphureus is an edible and medicinal mushroom. A sulfated galactoglucan (SPS) was isolated by the papain method. Polysaccharides (PS) were isolated by hot water and ethanol precipitation. The medium molecular weight SPS of 100 to 1000 kDa accounted for over half of the SPS mixture. Fucose, galactose, glucose, and mannose were the major monosaccharides in SPS and PS. The amount of sulfate in SPS was 1.09 mmol/g. SPS showed inhibition of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) release and reversed IκB degradation in LPS-induced RAW264.7 macrophages. The suppression of TNF-α secretion by SPS was through inhibiting the phosphorylation of AKT/extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK), p38, and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). A purified SPS, named SPS-3, was proven to inhibit the LPS-induced phosphorylation of AKT, ERK, and p-38 in RAW264.7 cells. The suppression of interleukin 6 (IL-6) and transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) secretion by PS was through inhibiting LPS-induced phosphorylation of p-38 and TGF-β receptor II (TGFRII) signaling pathways. This study demonstrates that the isolated SPS and PS from L. sulphureus possessed good anti-inflammatory activity for dietary supplements and functional food.

Review of Bioactivity, Isolation, and Identification of Active Compounds from Antrodia cinnamomea

Antrodia cinnamomea is a precious and popular edible and medicinal mushroom. It has attracted increasing attention due to its various and excellent bioactivities, such as hepatoprotection, hypoglycemic, antioxidant, antitumor, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulation, and gut microbiota regulation properties. To elucidate its bioactivities and develop novel functional foods or medicines, numerous studies have focused on the isolation and identification of the bioactive compounds of A. cinnamomea. In this review, the recent advances in bioactivity, isolation, purification, and identification methods of active compounds from A. cinnamomea were summarized. The present work is beneficial to the further isolation and discovery of new active compounds from A. cinnamomea.

Sulfated Modification, Characterization and Potential Bioactivities of Polysaccharide From Ziziphus jujuba cv. Jinsixiaozao

In this study, jujube polysaccharide (JP) was extracted from Ziziphus jujuba cv. Jinsixiaozao and sulfated JP (SJP) was prepared. The optimum preparation conditions were as follows: reaction temperature 75°C, reaction time 1 h, ratio of chlorosulfonic acid-to-pyridine ( VCSA/ VPyr) 1. The degree of substitution of SJP was 0.664 ± 0.014. JP and SJP were typical heteropolysaccharides, which were composed of rhamnose, arabinose, xylose, mannose, glucose, and galactose, but the molar ratio of monosaccharides was different. Fourier transform infrared spectra showed that JP was sulfated successfully. Compared with JP, the molecular weight of SJP increased to 3.17 × 105 Da, its water solubility increased significantly, and its viscosity decreased significantly. When the microstructure of SJP was examined, it was found that the surface of the polysaccharides became loose and porous after sulfation. SJP had a higher hydroxyl radical scavenging activity than the unsulfated polysaccharide. Moreover, sulfation enhanced the antibacterial activity of the polysaccharides against Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis. Therefore, sulfation is an effective way to improve the biological activity of the polysaccharide, and SJP can be used as a potential antioxidant and antimicrobial agent in the field of food and medicine.

Structural sequencing and anti-inflammatory, anti-lung cancer activities of 1,4-α/β-sulfomalonoglucan in Antrodia cinnamomea

Antrodia cinnamomea is a precious Polyporaceous fungus with various bioactivities. This study reports the chemical identification and biological activities of sulfomalonoglucan, a sulfated polysaccharide (SPS), from the sodium sulfate enriched medium of the title fungus. The SPS-containing fraction was separated by gel filtration chromatography (GFC) to give the title SPS (denoted as Na10_SPS-F3). By analyzing the evidence for key inter-glycosidic linkages in the 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic data, one possible repeat unit was proposed as: Na10_SPS-F3 inhibited the secretion of tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) and interleukin (IL)-6 after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation in RAW264.7 macrophages. Mechanistically, Na10_SPS-F3 downregulated TGFRII also attenuated the LPS-induced IκB-α degradation. Moreover, Na10_SPS-F3 inhibited lung cancer cell H1975 EGFR/ERK signaling. This is the first paper reporting a 3-O-sulfomalonyl glucan (Na10_SPS-F3) with eight 1,4-β-Glc moieties connected with ten 1,4-α-Glc moieties from Antrodia cinnamomea and its anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activities.

Production, characterization, and functions of sulfated polysaccharides from zinc sulfate enriched cultivation of Antrodia cinnamomea

This research utilized zinc sulfate enriched cultural conditions to produce sulfated polysaccharides from Antrodia cinnamomea (denoted as ZnFSPS) and physiochemically characterize functional and mechanical investigations of ZnFSPS. The maximum SPS yield reached a value of 6.68% when A. cinnamomea was fed zinc sulfate with 250 mM (denoted as Zn250). Zn250 had a maximal inhibitory effect on LPS-induced tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) release in RAW264.7 macrophage. Zn250 contained the highest area percentage of molecular weight of 178.5, 105.1, and 1.56 kDa at values of 19.08, 15.09, and 5.04. Zn250 contained three times the sulfate content as compared with the control. Mechanism studies revealed a novel finding that Zn250 inhibited the LPS-induced RAW264.7 macrophage inflammation and selectively blocked pAKT, pERK and p38. Zn250 also attenuated the LPS-induced IkB-α degradation. In addition, ZnFSPS interfered with lung cancer cell H1975 TGFRI/FAK/Slug signaling. These results suggest ZnFSPS plays roles in regulating inflammatory and anti-lung cancer activity.