A RG-II type polysaccharide purified from Aconitum coreanum alleviates lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation by inhibiting the NF-κB signal pathway

Hawthorn Fruit (Crataegus spp.) Polysaccharides Exhibit Immunomodulatory Activity on Macrophages via TLR4/NF-κB Signaling Activation

The immunostimulatory effects and the involved molecular mechanisms of polysaccharides from hawthorn fruit (Crataegus spp.) have not been well understood. In this study, the chemical composition, monosaccharide composition, uronic acid content, and structural features of hawthorn fruit polysaccharides (HFP) and the two collected fractions were analyzed. Both AF1-2 and AF2 have pectic-like structural features rich in galacturonic acid. AF2 showed superior proinflammatory effects on macrophages which significantly increased the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α, but not AF1-2. AF2 was found to activate the nuclear factor-κB signaling pathway with suppressed expression of IκBα but up-regulated expression of p-IκBα and nuclear factor-κB P65. The surface binding site of AF2 on macrophage cells was characterized and toll like receptor-4 was responsible for AF2 induced activation of down-stream nuclear factor-κB signaling pathways. AF2 from hawthorn fruit could be potentially used as a natural source of immunomodulator in functional foods.

Study of active components and mechanisms mediating the hypolipidemic effect of Inonotus obliquus polysaccharides

Hyperlipidemia is a multifaceted metabolic disease, which is the major risk factor for atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases. Traditional Chinese medicine provides valuable therapeutic strategies in the treatment of hyperlipidemia. Inonotus obliquus has been used in traditional medicine to treat numerous diseases for a long time. To screen and isolate the fractions of I. obliquus polysaccharides (IOP) that can reduce blood lipid in the hyperlipemia animals and cell models, and investigate its mechanisms. The active component IOP-A2 was isolated, purified, and identified. In vivo, rats were randomly divided into blank control group (NG), the high-fat treatment group (MG), lovastatin group (PG), and IOP-A group. Compared with MG, the hyperlipidemic rats treated with IOP-A2 had decreased body weight and organ indexes, with the level of serum total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) significantly decreased (p < .05), and level of serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) significantly increased (p < .05). Hepatocyte steatosis in hepatic lobules was significantly reduced. In vitro, the accumulation of lipid droplets in the model of fatty degeneration of HepG2 cells was significantly alleviated, and cellular TC and TG content was significantly decreased (p < .01). Moreover, the expression of recombinant cytochrome P450 7A1 (CYP7A1) and Liver X Receptor α (LXRα) were up-regulated (p < .05) both in vivo and in vitro. The results showed that IOP-A2 may exert its hypolipidemic activity by promoting cholesterol metabolism and regulating the expression of the cholesterol metabolism-related proteins CYP7A1, LXRα, SR-B1, and ABCA1.

Bioactive polysaccharides in different plant parts of Aconitum carmichaelii

BACKGROUND

Aconitum carmichaelii is an industrially cultivated medicinal plant in China and its lateral and mother roots are used in traditional Chinese medicine due to the presence of alkaloids. However, the rootlets and aerial parts are discarded after collection of the roots, and the non-toxic polysaccharides in this plant have attracted less attention than the alkaloids and poisonous features. In this study, five neutral and 14 acidic polysaccharide fractions were isolated systematically from different plant parts of A. carmichaelii, and their structural features and bioactivity were studied and compared.

RESULTS

The neutral fraction isolated from the rootlets differed from those isolated from the lateral and mother roots. It consisted of less starch and more possible mannans, galactans, and/or xyloglucans, being similar to those of the aerial parts. Pectic polysaccharides containing homogalacturonan and branched type-I rhamnogalacturonan (RG-I) were present in all plant parts of A. carmichaelii. However, more arabinogalactan (AG)-II side chains in the RG-I backbone were present in the aerial parts of the plants, while more amounts of arabinans were found in the roots. Various immunomodulatory effects were observed, determined by complement fixation activity and anti-inflammatory effects on the intestinal epithelial cells of all polysaccharide fractions.

CONCLUSION

This study highlighted the diversity of polysaccharides present in A. carmichaelii, especially in the unutilized plant parts, and showed their potential medicinal value. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Aconitum coreanum Rapaics: Botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology

The present review summarizes the multifaceted uses and recent findings regarding the phytochemistry, traditional use, pharmacology, and toxicity of the extracts and compounds of Aconitum coreanum Rapaics (Ranunculaceae) for the first time to facilitate further research and exploitation of these types of compounds and the utilization of A. coreanum plants. A. coreanum is one of the most important medicinal Aconitum species and has been traditionally and popularly used in China and other Asian countries for the treatment of headaches and migraines, Bi syndrome induced by wind, cold and dampness, and facial paralysis. Phytochemical studies have led to the isolation of 55 distinct small molecule compounds from A. coreanum, most of which are diterpenoid alkaloids. Related pharmacological studies have focused primarily on the antiarrhythmic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and anticancer activities of A. coreanum and its derived drugs. Alkaloids have been demonstrated to be the main active ingredients in this plant. In particular, hetisine-type DAs, mainly Guan-fu base A and its analogues, which possess prominent antiarrhythmic effects, other effects, and hypotoxicity, could be regarded as the representative constituents of A. coreanum. Polysaccharides from A. coreanum also displayed broad bioactivities, demonstrating great potential for further research and exploitation. However, few of the current studies have examined the main active components in A. coreanum from different regions. In addition, most of the pharmacological studies on A. coreanum polysaccharides were carried out using crude or poorly characterized fractions. Finally, reliable analytical methods and deeper studies on the toxicity of the compounds from A. coreanum are needed to ensure the safe usage of these products.

Mechanism of tonifying-kidney Chinese herbal medicine in the treatment of chronic heart failure

According to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), chronic heart failure has the basic pathological characteristics of “heart-kidney yang deficiency.” Chronic heart failure with heart- and kidney-Yang deficiency has good overlap with New York Heart Association (NYHA) classes III and IV. Traditional Chinese medicine classical prescriptions for the treatment of chronic heart failure often take “warming and tonifying kidney-Yang” as the core, supplemented by herbal compositions with functions of “promoting blood circulation and dispersing blood stasis.” Nowadays, there are still many classical and folk prescriptions for chronic heart failure treatment, such as Zhenwu decoction, Bushen Huoxue decoction, Shenfu decoction, Sini decoction, as well as Qili Qiangxin capsule. This review focuses on classical formulations and their active constituents that play a key role in preventing chronic heart failure by suppressing inflammation and modulating immune and neurohumoral factors. In addition, given that mitochondrial metabolic reprogramming has intimate relation with inflammation, cardiac hypertrophy, and fibrosis, the regulatory role of classical prescriptions and their active components in metabolic reprogramming, including glycolysis and lipid β-oxidation, is also presented. Although the exact mechanism is unknown, the classical TCM prescriptions still have good clinical effects in treating chronic heart failure. This review will provide a modern pharmacological explanation for its mechanism and offer evidence for clinical medication by combining TCM syndrome differentiation with chronic heart failure clinical stages.

Structure elucidation of arabinogalactoglucan isolated from Sedum sarmentosum Bunge and its inhibition on hepatocellular carcinoma cells in vitro

Sedum sarmentosum Bunge (SS) is clinically used as Chinese medicine for hepatitis related diseases treatment. The purpose of this study was to explore the chemical structures of polysaccharides from this plant. A neutral polysaccharide (SSWP) was isolated and purified by ion-exchange chromatography and Superdex-75 column. The obtained SSWP was a homogenous one with a molecular weight of 21.5 kDa according to the high-performance gel permeation chromatography. The major monosaccharide composition of SSWP was arabinose, glucose and galactose in a molar ratio of 2.4:1:1.8. The methylation analysis showed that SSWP consists mainly of Araf-(1→, →5)-Araf-(1→, →3,5)-Araf-(1→, →4)-Galp-(1→, →4)-Glcp-(1→. The NMR result and enzymatic digestion data comprehensively indicated that SSWP was a novel arabinogalactoglucan-type structure. The anticancer assay in vitro exhibited that SSWP could effectively inhibit 48.9% of Huh-7 cells growth at 50 μg/mL and arrest cells at S-phase, and induce tumor cells apoptosis. Together, polysaccharide from S. sarmentosum Bunge could be a potential natural antitumor agent.

Dietary pectic substances enhance gut health by its polycomponent: A review

Pectic substances, one of the cell wall polysaccharides, exist widespread in vegetables and fruits. A surge of recent research has revealed that pectic substances can inhibit gut inflammation and relieve inflammatory bowel disease symptoms. However, physiological functions of pectins are strongly structure dependent. Pectic substances are essentially heteropolysaccharides composed of homogalacturonan and rhamnogalacturonan backbones substituted by various neutral sugar sidechains. Subtle changes in the architecture of pectic substances may remarkably influence the nutritional function of gut microbiota and the host homeostasis of immune system. In this context, developing a structure-function understanding of how pectic substances have an impact on an inflammatory bowel is of primary importance for diet therapy and new drugs. Therefore, the present review has summarized the polycomponent nature of pectic substances, the activities of different pectic polymers, the effects of molecular characteristics and the underlying mechanisms of pectic substances. The immunomodulated property of pectic substances depends on not only the chemical composition but also the physical structure characteristics, such as molecular weight (M_w ) and chain conformation. The potential mechanisms by which pectic substances exert their protective effects are mainly reversing the disordered gut microbiota, regulating immune cells, enhancing barrier function, and inhibiting pathogen adhesion. The manipulation of pectic substances on gut health is sophisticated, and the link between structural specificity of pectins and selective regulation needs further exploration.

Separation of carbohydrate isomers and anomers on poly-N-(1H-tetrazole-5-yl)-methacrylamide-bonded stationary phase by hydrophilic interaction chromatography as well as determination of anomer interconversion energy barriers

A new commercially available HPLC column, poly-N-(1H-tetrazole-5-yl)-methacrylamide-bonded stationary phase (Daicel DCpak PTZ), was systematically evaluated for its carbohydrate isomer separation capability by hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) with charged aerosol detection (CAD) or (tandem) mass spectrometry. Reducing sugars tend to split into two anomer peaks which makes carbohydrate isomer separations in non-derivatized form even more complicated. For practical purposes anomer separations are therefore ideally suppressed which can be accomplished by using high temperature or high pH that are both associated with fast interconversion kinetics leading to peak coalescence, or on the other hand by conditions with low chromatographic anomer selectivity. Four major hexoses (glucose, mannose, galactose, fructose), five main pentoses (ribose, ribulose, xylose, xylulose, arabinose) and five most important disaccharides (maltose, cellobiose, lactose, sucrose, trehalose) were analyzed as single carbohydrate standards by isocratic HILIC with 0.1% (v/v) formic acid and 2 mM ammonium acetate at various temperatures to study anomer interconversion equilibria in a pH-dependent manner. Rate constants of forward (α→β) and backward (β→α) anomerization and corresponding energy barriers were calculated. The energy barriers of anomerisation were in the range of around 83-91 kJ mol^-1 at 298 K and the difference between forward (α→β) and backward reaction (β→α) was typically between 1-3 kJ mol^-1. The systematic studies finally allowed to pick conditions for the simultaneous analysis of all 14 carbohydrates by HILIC-ESI-MS(/MS) with PTZ in gradient elution mode. A combination of carbohydrate isomer-selective LC (with PTZ), tandem MS (with carbohydrate group-selective MS1 and some species-specific SRM transitions) and a simple deconvolution strategy allowed the determination of all carbohydrates of the complex test mixture except for the disaccharide pair lactose and maltose (which can be determined as sum). Consequently, the proposed method represents a successful step towards a global glycometabolomics profiling method of mono- and disaccharides by HILIC-ESI-MS/MS.

Non-alkaloidal constituents from the genus Aconitum: a review

Species of the genus Aconitum are widely distributed in the north temperate region and have been used in traditional medicine since antiquity due to their biological activities. Phytochemical investigations of Aconitum species have revealed the presence of multiple active ingredients, including flavonoids, phenylpropanoids, phenolics and acids, terpenoids, and polysaccharides in addition to their diterpenoid alkaloids. These non-alkaloidal constituents show great research significance for their novel structures, broad bioactivities, and chemotaxonomical significance. This review addresses, for the first time, the non-alkaloidal constituents and their biological properties and their taxonomic significance for Aconitum plants to facilitate future research.

Analysis of carbohydrates and glycoconjugates by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry: An update for 2013-2014

This review is the eighth update of the original article published in 1999 on the application of Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI) mass spectrometry to the analysis of carbohydrates and glycoconjugates and brings coverage of the literature to the end of 2014. Topics covered in the first part of the review include general aspects such as theory of the MALDI process, matrices, derivatization, MALDI imaging, fragmentation, and arrays. The second part of the review is devoted to applications to various structural types such as oligo- and poly- saccharides, glycoproteins, glycolipids, glycosides, and biopharmaceuticals. Much of this material is presented in tabular form. The third part of the review covers medical and industrial applications of the technique, studies of enzyme reactions, and applications to chemical synthesis. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Mass Spec Rev 37:353-491, 2018.

Pectin Oligosaccharides Ameliorate Colon Cancer by Regulating Oxidative Stress- and Inflammation-Activated Signaling Pathways

Colon cancer (CC) is the third common neoplasm worldwide, and it is still a big challenge for exploring new effective medicine for treating CC. Natural product promoting human health has become a hot topic and attracted many researchers recently. Pectin, a complex polysaccharide in plant cell wall, mainly consists of four major types of polysaccharides: homogalacturonan, xylogalacturonan, rhamnogalacturonan I and II, all of which can be degraded into various pectin oligosaccharides (POS) and may provide abundant resource for exploring potential anticancer drugs. POS have been regarded as a novel class of potential functional food with multiple health-promoting properties. POS have antibacterial activities against some aggressive and recurrent bacterial infection and exert beneficial immunomodulation for controlling CC risk. However, the molecular functional role of POS in the prevention of CC risk and progression remains doubtful. The review focuses on antioxidant and anti-inflammatory roles of POS for promoting human health by regulating some potential oxidative and inflammation-activated pathways, such as ATP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor-2 (Nrf2), and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathways. The activation of these signaling pathways increases the antioxidant and antiinflammatory activities, which will result in the apoptosis of CC cells or in the prevention of CC risk and progression. Thus, POS may inhibit CC development by affecting antioxidant and antiinflammatory signaling pathways AMPK, Nrf2, and NF-κB. However, POS also can activate signal transduction and transcriptional activator 1 and 3 signaling pathway, which will reduce antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and promote CC progression. Specific structural and structurally modified POS may be associated with their functions and should be deeply explored in the future. The present review paper lacks the important information for the linkage between the specific structure of POS and its function. To further explore the effects of prebiotic potential of POS and their derivatives on human immunomodulation in the prevention of CC, the specific POS with a certain degree of polymerization or purified polymers are highly demanded to be performed in clinical practice.

Structural characterization and effect on anti-angiogenic activity of a fucoidan from Sargassum fusiforme

A fucoidan FP08S2 was isolated from the boiling-water extract of Sargassum fusiforme, purified by CaCl2 precipitation and chromatography on DEAE-cellulose and Sephacryl S-300. FP08S2 contained fucose, xylose, galactose, mannose, glucuronic acid, and 20.8% sulfate. The sulfate groups were attached to diverse positions of fucose, xylose, mannose, and galactose residues. The backbone of FP08S2 consisted of alternate 1,2-linked α-D-Manp and 1,4-linked β-D-GlcpA. Sugar composition analysis and ESI-MS revealed that the oligosaccharides from branches contained fucose, xylose, galactose, glucuronic acid and sulfate. FP08S2 could significantly inhibit tube formation and migration of human microvascular endothelial cells (HMEC-1) dose-dependently. These results suggested that the fucoidan FP08S2 from brown seaweeds S. fusiforme could be a potent anti-angiogenic agent.

Free exopolysaccharide from Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides possesses anti-inflammatory properties

In this study we explored the immunomodulatory properties of highly purified free galactan, the soluble exopolysaccharide secreted by Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides (Mmm). Galactan was shown to bind to TLR2 but not TLR4 using HEK293 reporter cells and to induce the production of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 in bovine macrophages, whereas low IL-12p40 and no TNF-α, both pro-inflammatory cytokines, were induced in these cells. In addition, pre-treatment of macrophages with galactan substantially reduced lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced production of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF- and IL-12p40 while increasing LPS-induced secretion of immunosuppressive IL-10. Also, galactan did not activate naïve lymphocytes and induced only low production of the Th1 cytokine IFN-γ in Mmm-experienced lymphocytes. Finally, galactan triggered weak recall proliferation of CD4+ T lymphocytes from contagious bovine pleuropneumonia-infected animals despite having a positive effect on the expression of co-stimulatory molecules on macrophages. All together, these results suggest that galactan possesses anti-inflammatory properties and potentially provides Mmm with a mechanism to evade host innate and adaptive cell-mediated immune responses.

Structural characteristics of pineapple pulp polysaccharides and their antitumor cell proliferation activities

BACKGROUND

Pineapple has a delicious taste and good health benefits. Bioactive polysaccharides are important components of pineapple that might contribute to its health benefits. Since little structural information on these polysaccharides is currently available, the aim of this study was to investigate their structural characteristics and bioactivities.

RESULTS

The polysaccharides of pineapple pulp were fractionated into three fractions (PAPs 1-3) by anion exchange chromatography. Their structural characteristics were first identified, including molecular weights and glycosidic linkages. The monosaccharide compositions were revealed as PAP 1 (Ara, Xyl, Man, Glc and Gal), PAP 2 (Rha, Ara, Xyl, Man, Glc and Gal) and PAP 3 (Rha, Ara, Xyl, Man and Gal). Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra suggested that PAP 2 had a backbone of → 4)-α-d-Manp-(1 → 2,4)-α-d-Manp-(1 → with branches attached to O-4 of Manp. The NMR data of α-l-Araf-(1→, →3)-α-l-Araf-(1→, →4)-β-d-Galp-(1 → and → 4)-α-d-GalpAMe-(1 → were assigned. PAPs 1 and 2 showed significant antitumor cell proliferation activities against breast carcinoma cell line and strong antioxidant activities.

CONCLUSION

The above findings indicated that PAPs 1-3 contributed much to the health benefits of pineapple. They could be used as health-beneficial food additives in functional foods.

Structure characterization of an arabinogalactan from green tea and its anti-diabetic effect

A water-soluble polysaccharide, 7WA, with an average molecular mass of 7.1×10(4)Da, was isolated from the leaves of green tea. Monosaccharide composition analysis indicated that 7WA mainly contained Arabinose and Galactose in the molar ratio of 1.0:0.96. By using the methods of methylation analysis, partial hydrolysis, and NMR, 7WA was characterized to possess a backbone consisting of 1,3- and 1,6-linked galactopyranosyl residues, with branches attached to O-3 of 1,6-linked galactose residues, and O-4 and O-6 of 1,3-linked galactose residues. The results of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) showed that 7WA significantly augmented insulin secretion at high glucose level (25mM), however, such effect was not seen at low glucose level (5mM). The mechanism study results indicated 7WA, a type II arabinogalactan from Green Tea, enhances GSIS through cAMP-PKA pathway.