Inulin-type fructans obtained from Atractylodis Macrocephalae by water/alkali extraction and immunoregulatory evaluation

Structural characterization of polysaccharides from Polygonatum Sibiricum and effect on alleviating hyperlipidemia in egg yolk emulsion-induced mice

Polysaccharides are the major bioactive composition of Polygonatum sibiricum (P. sibiricum). However, the structural and functional identifications of these polysaccharides were still limited. Herein, we isolated a novel P. sibiricum polysaccharides (PSPF) and explored its potential function and mechanism in alleviating hyperlipidemia. PSPF were purified by diethylaminoethyl-sepharose fast flow (DEAE-Sepharose FF) and cross-linked dextran gel LH-20 (Sephadex LH-20) column chromatography, and identified by gel-permeation chromatography, methylation analysis, fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FT-IR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Their molecular weight (Mw), polysaccharide composition, and chemical structure were characterized. Furthermore, egg yolk emulsion-induced acute hyperlipidemia mouse model was constructed to evaluate the lipid-lowering efficacy and the underlying mechanism of PSPF. It was found that PSPF, with the Mw of 3592 Da, were prepared and mainly consisted of fructan with →1)-β-D-Fruf-(2 → main chain and →6)-β-D-Fruf-(2 → side chains. In addition, PSPF supplements efficiently reduced liver lipid accumulation, alleviated hepatocyte steatosis, and upregulated the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathway, thereby enhancing fatty acid oxidation and decomposition. These results indicate that PSPF may serve as the potential dietary supplements for lipid reduction.

Preparation methods, structural features, biological activities and potential applications of Ophiopogon japonicus polysaccharides: An updated review

Ophiopogon japonicus (O. japonicus) has a history of thousands of years as herbal medicine and nutritional food in China. Polysaccharides are one of the main bioactive components of O. japonicus. Various extraction methods and purification techniques have been employed to obtain O. japonicus polysaccharides (OJPs). Nevertheless, the structural characteristics of OJPs remain incompletely understood and require further investigation through the integration of advanced analytical techniques to uncover potential structure-activity relationships. Moreover, OJPs exhibit a variety of biological activities, such as regulating gut microbiota, providing cardiovascular protection, lowering blood glucose, and combating obesity. These diverse pharmacological effects make OJPs highly promising for widespread application in industries such as pharmaceuticals and food. Therefore, this review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of OJPs, covering their preparation methods, structural features, bioactivity, and structure-activity relationships. Here also emphasizes the significant promise of medicine and functional foods fields and advocating for their integration into clinical and industrial processes.

Research progress on extraction, separation, structure, and biological activities of polysaccharides from the genus Atractylodes: A review

Plants of the genus Atractylodes are perennial herbaceous plants in the family Asteraceae, whose rhizome is often used in the production of medicines and health products. There are 6 main species in this genus, namely A. macrocephala, A. lancea, A. chinensis, A. carlinoides, A. koreana and A. japonica. Among them, A. lancea and A. macrocephala are the most extensively investigated. Polysaccharides as the main active ingredients extracted and isolated from plants in this genus, show good pharmacological activities in vivo and in vitro, such as immunomodulatory, antioxidant, antidiabetic and intestinal protective activities. The pharmacological activities of polysaccharides are closely related to their extraction methods and physicochemical properties. This article discusses the extraction and separation methods, molecular weight, monosaccharide composition, chemical structure characteristics and pharmacological activities of polysaccharides from the genus Atractylodes. Furthermore, a comparative analysis of the relationship of monosaccharide composition, relative molecular weight and structural modifications with the pharmacological activities of polysaccharides of the genus Atractylodes was carried out, which provided a reference for the development and utility of polysaccharides.

An inulin-type polysaccharide from Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma can relieve psoriasis

Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma (AMR), an herb often found in compounded remedies for psoriasis, is rich in polysaccharides. However, the beneficial effects of AMR polysaccharides on psoriasis remain obscure. In this study, an inulin-type fructan-labelled AMP was extracted from the AMR. AMP has a molecular weight of 5.84 kDa and comprises fructose, glucose, and arabinose at a molar ratio of 93:5:2. Methylation and NMR analyses revealed that AMP comprises a linear backbone of 2,6-linked Fruf or 1,2-linked Fruf with branching 1,2,6-linked Fruf and terminates in T-Glcp. Animal studies verified that AMP can improve imiquimod-induced psoriasis-like skin lesions and downregulate the Il-17a, Il-23, Il-22, Il-6, Il-12, and Tnf-α gene expression. Furthermore, we elucidated the underlying mechanisms using cellular experiments. The ability of AMP to inhibit hyperproliferation and the overexpression of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-23 genes in human immortal keratinocyte cells (HaCaT) stimulated by lipopolysaccharide was demonstrated. These results indicate that AMP may directly target keratinocytes to suppress excessive proliferation and contribute to anti-inflammatory responses, potentially by blocking the activation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. In summary, AMP has demonstrated potential as a prospective treatment strategy for psoriasis.

Effects of UV/H2O2 Degradation on the Physicochemical and Antibacterial Properties of Fucoidan

The applications of fucoidan in the food industry were limited due to its high molecular weight and low solubility. Moderate degradation was required to depolymerize fucoidan. A few studies have reported that fucoidan has potential antibacterial activity, but its antibacterial mechanism needs further investigation. In this study, the degraded fucoidans were obtained after ultraviolet/hydrogen peroxide treatment (UV/H2O2) at different times. Their physicochemical properties and antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli were investigated. The results showed that the average molecular weights of degraded fucoidans were significantly decreased (up to 22.04 times). They were mainly composed of fucose, galactose, and some glucuronic acid. Fucoidan degraded for 90 min (DFuc-90) showed the strongest antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, with inhibition zones of 27.70 + 0.84 mm and 9.25 + 0.61 mm, respectively. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) were 8 mg/mL and 4 mg/mL, respectively. DFuc-90 could inhibit the bacteria by damaging the cell wall, accumulating intracellular reactive oxygen species, reducing adenosine triphosphate synthesis, and inhibiting bacterial metabolic activity. Therefore, UV/H2O2 treatment could effectively degrade fucoidan and enhance its antibacterial activity.

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.

Effect of extraction methods on the chemical, structural, and rheological attributes of fructan derived from Arctium lappa L. roots

The focus of this study was the evaluation of how extraction techniques impact the chemical, structural, and rheological attributes of fructans extracted from Arctium lappa L. roots. Three distinct extraction procedures were used, utilizing water as solvent, infusion extraction conducted at ambient temperature (25 °C for 5 min), thermal extraction employing reflux (100 °C for 2 h), and ultrasound-assisted extraction (50 °C for 1.38 h with a 158 W output). Chemical characterization by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and colorimetric analyses revealed the obtaining of inulin-type fructans (yield 83 %). The degree of polymerization (DP) was found to be the lowest for ultrasound-assisted extraction (14.38), followed by the room-temperature (20.41) and thermal (21.14) extraction techniques. None of the extraction techniques appeared to modify the molecular structure of the isolated compounds. In X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses, distinct crystallization patterns were observed for the room-temperature and thermal extraction techniques, though all fractions consistently exhibited characteristic bands of inulin-type fructan. Rheological assessments indicated a viscoelastic nature of the fractions, with those extracted thermally demonstrating a greater viscosity. This study shows that the choice of extraction method can influence the structural characteristics of inulin-type fructans derived from the burdock root.

Nature's soothing solution: Harnessing the potential of food-derived polysaccharides to control inflammation

Reducing inflammation by diet is a major goal for prevention or lowering symptoms of a variety of diseases, such as auto-immune reactions and cancers. Natural polysaccharides are increasingly gaining attention due to their potential immunomodulating capacity. Structures of those molecules are highly important for their effects on the innate immune system, cytokine production and secretion, and enzymes in immune cells. Such polysaccharides include β-glucans, pectins, fucoidans, and fructans. To better understand the potential of these immunomodulatory molecules, it is crucial to enhance dedicated research in the area. A bibliometric analysis was performed to set a starting observation point. Major pillars of inflammation, such as pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), enzymatic production of inflammatory molecules, and involvement in specific pathways such as Nuclear-factor kappa-B (NF-kB), involved in cell transcription, survival, and cytokine production, and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), a regulator of genetic expression, mitosis, and cell differentiation. Therefore, the outcomes from polysaccharide applications in those scenarios are discussed.

Artificial neural network model- and response surface methodology-based optimization of Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma polysaccharide extraction, kinetic modelling and structural characterization

Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma (AMR) is the dried rhizome of Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz, which is widely used in the development of health products. AMR contains a large number of polysaccharides, but at present there are fewer applications for these polysaccharides. In this study, the effects of different extraction methods on the Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma polysaccharide (AMRP) yield were investigated, and the conditions for ultrasound-assisted extraction were optimized by response surface methodology (RSM) and three neural network models (BP neural network, GA-BP neural network and ACO-GA-BP neural network). The best conditions were a liquid-to-solid ratio of 17 mL/g, ultrasonic power of 400 W, extraction temperature of 72 °C, and extraction time of 40 min, which yielded 31.31% AMRP. The kinetic equation of AMRP was determined and compared with the results predicted by three neural network models. It was finally determined that the extraction conditions, kinetic processes and kinetic equation predicted by the GA-ACO-BP neural network were optimal. In addition, AMRP was characterized using SEM, FTIR, HPLC, UV, XRD, and NMR, and the structural study revealed that AMRP has a rough exterior and a porous interior; moreover, it contains high levels of glucose (5.07%), arabinose (0.80%), and galactose (0.74%). AMRP has three crystal structures, consisting of two β-type monosaccharides and one α-type monosaccharide. Additionally, the effectiveness of AMRP as an antioxidant was demonstrated in an in vitro experiment.

Preparation, Structural Characterisation, and Bioactivities of Fructans: A Review

Polysaccharides are important components of higher plants and have attracted increasing attention due to their many nutraceutical benefits in humans. Fructans, heterogeneous fructose polymers that serve as storage carbohydrates in various plants, represent one of the most important types of natural polysaccharides. Fructans have various physiological and therapeutic effects, which are beneficial to health, and have the ability to prevent or treat various diseases, allowing their wide use in the food, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical industries. This article reviews the occurrence, metabolism, preparation, characterisation, analysis, and bioactivity of fructans. Further, their molecular weight, monosaccharide composition, linkages, and structural determination are described. Taken together, this review provides a theoretical foundation for further research into the structure-function relationships of fructans, as well as valuable new information and directions for further research and application of fructans in functional foods.