A Atractylodes lancea polysaccharide inhibits metastasis of human osteosarcoma U-2 OS cells by blocking sialyl Lewis X (sLex )/E-selectin binding

Structural characterization of the polysaccharides from Atractylodes chinensis (DC.) Koidz. and the protective effection against alcohol-induced intestinal injury in rats

A neutral polysaccharide, AP, with a weight-average molecular weight of 60.61 kDa, consisting mainly of arabinose and galactose, was isolated from the rhizomes of Atractylodes chinensis (DC.) Koidz. Methylation analyses and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy indicated that the probable repeat unit of AP was →3,6)-α-D-Galp-(1→ residues and constituted the main chain, with a side chain of →5)-α-L-Araf-(1→ and terminal α-L-Araf attached to C-6 of the main chain. The protective activity and potential mechanisms of action of AP on the intestinal tract were investigated. AP improved intestinal oxidative stress injury and inflammatory responses by promoting the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2/heme oxygenase-1 signaling pathway and inhibiting the toll-like receptor 4/myeloid differentiation primary response protein 88/nuclear factor-kappa B signaling pathway, but also repaired colonic mucosal injury and reduced intestinal leakage of endotoxins by promoting expression of the tight-junction proteins zonula occludens-1 and occludin. AP improved ecological dysregulation of the intestinal microbiota and promoted the growth of the potentially beneficial bacteria Lactobacillus_taiwanensis, Limosilactobacillus_reuteri and Akkermansia_muciniphila. AP promoted intestinal health by increasing the production of potentially beneficial metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids, Indole-3-propionic acid, and N-Eicosapentaenoyl tryptophan through metabolism (amino acids, lipids, carbohydrates). These results suggest that AP is a promising prebiotic in attenuating alcohol-induced intestinal damage.

Polysaccharides from Chinese materia medica: Perspective towards cancer management

Cancer has always been a focus of global attention, and the difficulty of treatment and poor prognosis have always plagued humanity. Conventional chemotherapeutics and treatment with synthetic disciplines will cause adverse side effects and drug resistance. Therefore, searching for a safe, valid, and clinically effective drug is necessary. At present, some natural compounds have proved to have the potential to fight cancer. Polysaccharides obtained from Chinese materia medica are good anti-cancer ingredients. Polysaccharides are macromolecular compounds of equal or distinct monosaccharides with an α- or β-glycosidic bonds. The anti-cancer activity has been fully demonstrated in vivo and in vitro. However, Chinese materia medica polysaccharides are only used as adjuvant therapy for cancer-related diseases. Hence, this review mainly discusses the chemical composition, biological activity, absorption in vivo, and clinical application of Chinese materia medica polysaccharides. Also, we discussed the anti-cancer mechanism. We also discussed the current research's limitations on treating cancer with Chinese materia medica polysaccharides and insights into future research.

A Atractylodes lancea polysaccharide inhibits metastasis of human osteosarcoma U-2 OS cells by blocking sialyl Lewis X (sLex )/E-selectin binding

In this study, a new water and alkaline‐soluble polysaccharide (ALP), with an average molecular weight of 6.63 × 10⁴ Da, was successfully purified from the rhizomes of Atractylodes lancea. GC analysis demonstrated that ALP was a kind of glucan. The effect of the ALP on the interaction between E‐selectin and sialyl Lewis X (sLe^x) was examined in human osteosarcoma U‐2 OS cells. It was obvious that the expression of sLe^x antigen on the surface of U‐2 OS cells was visible under fluorescence microscopy. The addition of ALP (0.5, 1 and 2 mg/mL) resulted in a marked inhibition on the adhesion, migration and invasion of U‐2 OS cells to human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), which was achieved by the decreased sLe^x expression on U‐2 OS cells. Additionally, the induction of apoptosis can be observed in U‐2 OS cells following ALP treatment using TUNEL staining and Annexin V‐FITC/PI double‐staining analysis on flow cytometry. In conclusion, these results indicated that ALP exerted anti‐metastatic activity towards osteosarcoma cells via inhibition of sLe^x/E‐selectin binding, which suggested that ALP could be a potent agent for human osteosarcoma intervention.