Purification, structural characterization and anticancer activity of the novel polysaccharides from Rhynchosia minima root

Optimization Extraction, Purification and Antioxidant Activities of Polysaccharides from Penthorum Chinense Pursh

Penthorum chinense Pursh is a well-known traditional Chinese medicine, however, little attention has been paid to the polysaccharides of P. chinense (PCP). Therefore, it is great significance to investigate the characteristics and activities of PCP. In this study, response surface methodology was applied to optimize the extraction parameters of PCP. Then, two polysaccharides fractions (PCP-1 and PCP-2) were purified from PCP by using DEAE-52 chromatography, and there preliminary chemical properties and in vitro antioxidant activities were investigated. Results revealed that the optimum extraction conditions of PCP were identified as follow: ratio of water to raw material 20.6 mL/g; extraction time 3.5 h and extraction temperature 85°C. Based on these conditions, the maximum yield of PCP was 3.12% ± 0.19%. Purified fractions PCP-1 and PCP-2 were all acidic heteropolysaccharides, and PCP-1 mainly consisted of galactose and arabinose while PCP-2 mainly consisted of rhamnose, galacturonic acid, galactose and arabinose. Moreover, PCP-2 exhibited stronger scavenging activities against DPPH radical, hydroxyl radical and superoxide anion radical and chelating activity on Fe2+in vitro.

Optimization of the extraction, preliminary characterization, and anti-inflammatory activity of crude polysaccharides from the stems of Trapa quadrispinosa

A novel method was developed using pressurized-assisted extraction (PAE) to efficiently extract crude Trapa quadrispinosa polysaccharides (TQCPS) from plant stems, and the extraction process was optimized using response surface methodology (RSM). At a water-to-material fixed ratio of 30 mL g⁻¹, the highest yield of 3.72 ± 0.13% was obtained under the optimum conditions of extraction time of 32 min, extraction temperature at 47 °C, and extraction pressure at 1.87 Mpa, which were in agreement with the predicted value of 3.683%. Compared with conventional hot water extraction (HWE), the PAE method remarkably enhanced the extraction yield with the further advantages of short extraction time and low extraction temperature. The preliminary characteristics of TQCPS were analyzed through UV-vis, FT-IR, and chemical composition analysis. In subsequent anti-inflammatory studies, when RAW 264.7 mouse macrophage cells were treated with TQCPS, satisfactory anti-inflammatory activity was observed, and TQCPS significantly suppressed the release of nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) and synchronously restrained the expression levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), TNF-α, and IL-6 mRNA induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in a dose-dependent manner. These results indicate that PAE is a technology that can be used for efficient extraction of polysaccharides from medicinal plants, and TQCPS can be explored as a potential anti-inflammatory agent in medicine.

The high-yield TQCPS extracted by PAE presented good anti-inflammatory activity.

Effect of gamma irradiation on structure, physicochemical and immunomodulatory properties of Astragalus polysaccharides

Astragalus polysaccharides (APS) were treated with different gamma irradiation doses (10, 25, 50, 100 and 150 kGy) to investigate the effects of gamma radiation processing on structure, physicochemical and immunomodulatory properties. The results revealed both the number-average and weight-average molecular weight of APS significantly decreased with increasing irradiation dose, whereas the solubility was increased after irradiation. A decrease in the apparent viscosity, as well as an increase in amount of small fragments of APS granules was also observed with increasing irradiation dose. FT-IR spectra indicated that gamma irradiation introduced no significant changes into the functional group status of APS. High irradiation dose (>50 kGy) caused a significant increase of yellowness and a slightly decrease of thermal stability of APS. Further, the immunomodulatory activity of irradiated APS was evaluated on Caco2 cells. APS irradiated at dose of 25 kGy exhibited the highest ability to induce nitric oxide production and up-regulate the mRNA expression of inflammatory cytokines, occludin, zonula occludens protein-1 (ZO-1) and toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), as well as the protein expression of ZO-1 and TLR4. These findings indicate that gamma irradiation modification with a proper dose enhance immunomodulatory activity of APS by improving physicochemical properties without changing the functional groups.

Evaluation of the effect of soluble polysaccharides of palm kernel cake as a potential prebiotic on the growth of probiotics

This paper deliberates the extraction, characterization and examination of potential application of soluble polysaccharides of palm kernel cake (PKC) as a prebiotic. The PKC was defatted and crude polysaccharide was obtained through water, citric acid or NaOH extraction. The physiochemical properties of the extracted polysaccharides viz. total carbohydrates, protein content, solubility rate, monosaccharides composition, structural information and thermal properties were also determined. The extracted soluble polysaccharides were further subjected to a digestibility test using artificial human gastric juice. Finally, their prebiotic potential on two probiotics, namely Lactobacillus plantarum ATCC 8014 and Lb. rhamnosus ATCC 53103 were evaluated in vitro. It was observed that PKC contained ash (5.2%), moisture (7.4%), carbohydrates (65.8%), protein (16.5%) and fat (5.1%). There were significant differences (P < 0.05) between the values of NaOH-extracted crude polysaccharides (8.73%) and that of water (3.03%) and citric acid (3.07%)-extracted polysaccharides. The extracted polysaccharides composed of mannose, galactose, glucose, arabinose, xylose and rhamanose, with highest percentage of mannose (62.49%) and galactose (25.42%) in SP_CA. Total carbohydrate content in SCP_W, SCP_CA and SCP_N are 57.11%, 56.94% and 50.95%, respectively. The polysaccharides from PKC in this study were found to be highly soluble (> 95%). Protein content in SCP_W, SCP_CA and SCP_N are 0.72, 0.40 and 0.58, respectively, and the peaks which indicated the presence of protein were observed at approximately 1640 cm^-1 (amide I). FTIR spectroscopy revealed that the polysaccharides extracts were linked to β and α-glycosidic bonds and thermal analysis using differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) showed the main degradation temperature of SP is about 121 to 125 °C. The SP were found to be highly resistance (> 96%) to hydrolysis when subjected to artificial human gastric juice. The prebiotics potentials of the polysaccharides on probiotics in vitro demonstrated an increase in proliferation of Lb. plantarum ATCC 8014 and Lb. rhamnosus ATCC 53103 with decrease in the pH of the medium and producing organic acids.All the above findings strongly indicated that polysaccharides extracted from PKC, an industrial waste, have a potential to be exploited as novel prebiotics.

Correlations of Molecular Weights of β-Glucans from Qingke (Tibetan Hulless Barley) to Their Multiple Bioactivities

β-glucans have been considered the major bioactive components in Qingke (Tibetan hulless barley). However, the structure–function relationships of β-glucans from Qingke have seldom been investigated. Whether the bioactivities of Qingke β-glucans are closely correlated to their molecular weights remains unknown. Therefore, in order to explore Qingke β-glucans as functional/healthy food ingredients for industrial applications, and to better understand their structure–function relationships, correlations of molecular weights of Qingke β-glucans to their in vitro binding properties, inhibitory activities on digestive enzymes (α-amylase and pancreatic lipase), anti-inflammatory activities, and anticancer activities were systematically investigated. Results showed that the in vitro binding properties and the inhibitory activities on α-amylase and pancreatic lipase of Qingke β-glucans were positively correlated to their molecular weights. However, the anti-inflammatory activities of Qingke β-glucans increased as their molecular weights decreased. Furthermore, Qingke β-glucans exhibited selectively anti-cancer activities in vitro. Positive and negative correlations of molecular weights to inhibitory effects against A549 cells and MDA-MB-231 cells were observed, respectively. However, the inhibitory effects of Qingke β-glucans against HCT116 cells were not associated with their molecular weights. Results suggested that the molecular weights of Qingke β-glucans significantly affected their bioactivities, which was beneficial for a better understanding of their structure–function relationships. Moreover, results showed that Qingke β-glucans could be further explored as functional/healthy food ingredients for industrial applications due to their multiple health benefits.

Sulfated Laminaria japonica polysaccharides inhibit macrophage foam cell formation

In this work, a purified Laminaria japonica polysaccharide (LJP61A) was chemically modified to obtain three sulfated polysaccharides (SLJP1, SLJP2 and SLJP3) with different degrees of sulfation using the method of chlorosulfonic acid/pyridine. The effects and underlying mechanism of SLJP1, SLJP2 and SLJP3 on the suppression of macrophage foam cell formation were further investigated using the model of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL)-induced foam cell formation. Results exhibited that the macrophage foam cell formation induced by ox-LDL could be significantly alleviated by these sulfated polysaccharides in a dose-dependent manner. Meanwhile, the enhancement of PPAR-γ mRNA expression in ox-LDL induced macrophages was remarkably inhibited by these sulfated polysaccharides. Moreover, the cellular inflammation induced by ox-LDL could also be remarkably mitigated by these sulfated polysaccharides. These results indicated that the sulfated L. japonica polysaccharides could inhibit the conversion of macrophage into foam cell via obstructing PPAR-γ activation and alleviating cellular inflammation.

Ultrasonic-assisted enzymatic extraction of a water soluble polysaccharide from dragon fruit peel and its antioxidant activity

A novel water soluble polysaccharide from dragon fruit peel named DFPWSP-1 was isolated and purified and chemical analysis was performed. The results indicated that DFPWSP-1, with an average molecular weight of 2.98 × 10² kDa, mainly contained galacturonic acid, glucose and galactose. Then, a Box–Behnken design (BBD) was employed to optimize the ultrasonic-assisted enzymatic extraction (UAEE) of DFPWSP-1. The optimal extraction conditions for the maximum yield of DFPWSP-1 were a cellulase volume of 104 U, an enzymolysis time of 2.06 h, an ultrasonication power of 105 W and a ratio of solution to sample of 8.5 mL g⁻¹. Under these conditions, the extraction yield of DFPWSP-1 was 20.28%. Furthermore, the polysaccharide DFPWSP-1 exhibited a significant scavenging activity of 2-diphenyl-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical, superoxide anion and hydroxyl radical. DFPWSP-1 may be a potential natural antioxidant in the food industry.

A novel water soluble polysaccharide from dragon fruit peel named DFPWSP-1 was isolated and purified and chemical analysis was performed.

Preliminary Characterization of a Homogeneous Polysaccharide with Anticomplement Activity from Sijunzi Decoction

Sijunzi decoction (SJZD) is a classical herbal prescription in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) used for enhancing the function of immune system. In previous studies, a polysaccharide fraction S-3 was screened from SJZD by assessment of immune system regulation, intestinal microbiota, and SCFA in order to explore the immune active ingredients in SJZD. In the present study, S-3 was further purified, and a homogeneous polysaccharide S-3-1 with a molecular mass of 13.5 × 104 Da was obtained after further fractionation by Sephadex G-150 size-exclusion chromatography. The immunological activities of S-3-1 were assayed in vitro for the first time. The determination of the anticomplement activity showed that S-3-1 displayed inhibitory effects on classical pathway of the complement system, with CH50 values of 530 μg/mL. The FT-IR analysis showed that S-3-1 had absorptive peaks characteristic of polysaccharides. The methylation and GC-MS analysis showed that it is comprised of Rha, Ara, Xyl, Man, Gal, and Glc in a relative molar ratio of 0.35 : 0.37 : 1.4 : 0.31 : 3 : 0.8 and that it mainly contained 1,4-linked-Glc and 1,6-linked-Gal glycosidic bonds. The morphology of S-3-1 was observed by atomic force microscope (AFM). These results provided evidences for tracking the material basis of SJZD immune activity.

Allelopathic Activity and Chemical Composition of Rhynchosia minima (L.) DC. Essential Oil from Egypt

Aromatic plants attract the attention of many researchers worldwide due to their worthy applications in agriculture, human prosperity, and the environment. Essential oil (EO) could be exploited as effective alternatives to synthetic compounds as it has several biological activities including allelopathy. The EO from the aerial parts of Rhynchosia minima was extracted by hydrodistillation and investigated by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Different concentrations (50, 100, 150 and 200 μL L^-1 ) of the EO were prepared for investigation of their allelopathic potential on two weeds; Dactyloctenium aegyptium and Rumex dentatus. Twenty-eight compounds, mainly sesquiterpenes (69.13%) were determined. The major compounds are α-eudesmol, 2-allyl-5-tert-butylhydroquinone, caryophyllene oxide, trans-caryophyllene, and τ-cadinol. The EO from the R. minima showed a significant inhibition of D. aegyptium and R. dentatus germination, while the seedling growth was stimulated. Therefore, it is not recommended to treat these noxious weeds with the EO of R. minima before the germination. In contrast, the apparent stimulatory effect on the seedling growth offers further studies to use the EO of R. minima to enhance the fitness of different economic crops. However, characterization of green bio-herbicides such as EO (allelochemicals) from wild plants raises a new opportunity for the incorporation of new technology of bio-control against the noxious weeds.

Extraction, partial characterization and bioactivity of polysaccharides from Senecio scandens Buch.-Ham

Mechanochemistry was applied to improve the yield of bioactive acid polysaccharides obtained from low-cost Senecio scandens Buch.-Ham. The structural characteristics and biological activities of three novel polysaccharides from S. scandens (SP2-1, SP2-2 and SP3-2) were investigated. SP2-1 and SP2-2 with molecular weights of 267.6 and 253.1 kDa, respectively, were composed of _L-rhamnose, _D-arabinose, _D-mannose, _D-xylose, _D-glucose and _D-galactose in various ratios, whereas SP3-2 with molecular weight of 266.6 kDa was composed of _D-arabinose, _D-glucose and _D-galactose. In vitro, SP3-2 presented the strongest DPPH, ABTS and O^2- radicals scavenging activities, as well as Fe³⁺ reducibility. Immunological tests demonstrated that all polysaccharide fractions stimulated the production of nitric oxide (NO) and immunomodulatory cytokines (IL-1β and TNF-α) without cytotoxicity in macrophages and promoted splenocyte proliferation in different degree. These findings indicated that SP2-1, SP2-2 and SP3-2 have prominent antioxidant activity and potential immune response, which proved the possibility of S. scandens polysaccharides (SSP) applied in the field of functional food or medicine.

A water-soluble polysaccharide from Grifola frondosa induced macrophages activation via TLR4-MyD88-IKKβ-NF-κB p65 pathways

Here, the immunomodulatory effects of water-soluble polysaccharide from Grifola frondosa on RAW264.7 macrophages and its molecular mechanisms were investigated. G. frondosa polysaccharide could obviously enhance immunostimulatory activity such as the release of nitric oxide and cytokine production. Western blotting results showed that G. frondosa polysaccharide elevated the TLR4, which might act as an upstream regulator of MyD88 induced G. frondosa polysaccharide. MyD88 promoted IKKβ in endochylema and translocate NF-κB p65 subunit into the nucleus which increased the NO production and cytokine/chemokines level. The results suggested that G. frondosa polysaccharide activated macrophages through TLR4-MyD88-IKKβ-NF-κBp65 signaling pathways.

Purification, Characterization, Antioxidant and Antitumour Activities of Polysaccharides from Apple Peel Pomace Obtained by Pre-pressing Separation

Purification, characterization, in vitro antioxidant and antitumour activities of polysaccharides from apple peel pomace obtained by pre-pressing separation were investigated. Apple peel polysaccharides (APP) were obtained by water extraction and ethanol precipitation. They were further purified by chromatography of Cellulose DEAE-52 and Sephadex G-150 to obtain three fractions (APP-1, APP-2 and APP-3). Both GC-MS and HPLC analysis showed that galactose and arabinose were two main components in the three fractions with an average molecular weight of 197 kDa, 395 kDa and 303 kDa, respectively. Uronic acids were only presented in APP-2 and APP-3, which were further confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Besides, the results showed that the antioxidant activity measured by ferric-reducing power and scavenging of O2•−, DPPH• and OH• and the antitumour activity examined by HepG2 cells were connected with the content of uronic acids. These findings provide scientific basis for comprehensive utilization of apple peel pomace.

RAW264.7 Cell Activating Glucomannans Extracted from Rhizome of Polygonatum sibiricum

Water-soluble polysaccharides isolated from the rhizome of Polygonatum sibiricum and fractionated using ion-exchange chromatography were investigated to determine their structure and immunostimulating activity. Crude and fractions (F₁ and F₂) consisted of carbohydrates (85.1~88.3%) with proteins (4.51~11.9%) and uronic acid (1.79~7.47%), and included different levels of mannose (62.3~76.3%), glucose (15.2~20.3%), galactose (4.35~15.3%), and arabinose (4.00~7.65%). The crude contained two peaks with molecular weights (Mw) of 151×10³ and 31.8×10³, but F₁ and F₂ exhibited one major peak with Mw of 103×10³ and 628×10³, respectively. Little immunostimulatory activity was observed by the crude; however, F₁ and F₂ significantly activated RAW264.7 cells to release nitric oxide and various cytokines, suggesting they were potent immunostimulators. The backbone of the most immunostimulating fraction (F₁) was (1→4)-manno- and (1→4)-gluco-pyranosyl residues with galactose and glucose attached to O-6 of manno-pyranoside.

Extraction, characterization, and biological activity of polysaccharides from Sophora flavescens Ait

Four water-soluble polysaccharides, designated as SF1, SF2, SF3 and SF4, were efficiently extracted from the roots of Sophora flavescens by mechanochemistry under the conditions of rotational speed of 400rpm, grinding time of 10min, powder to ball weight ratio of 1:20, and Na₂CO₃ loading of 7wt%. The results obtained indicated that all of these four acid heteropolysaccharides are composed of rhamnose, arabinose, xylose, mannose, glucose and galactose, with the average molecular weights of 400.9, 98.6, 99.3, 42.7kDa, respectively. In vitro, SF4 showed the most significant scavenging activity on superoxide radical, ABTS, and DPPH radical, while SF3 had the most significant scavenging activity on hydroxyl radical. Immunological tests demonstrated that SF1, SF2, SF3 and SF4 significantly stimulated nitric oxide production without cytotoxicity in macrophages and promoted splenocyte proliferation. These data suggest that the four polysaccharides fractions have the potential as novel natural sources of antioxidative and immunopotentiating agents.

Administration of polysaccharide from Panax notoginseng prolonged the survival of H22 tumor-bearing mice

BACKGROUND

Polysaccharides from various sources are being considered potential sources for the treatment of liver cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of polysaccharide isolated from Panax notoginseng (PPN) on the proliferation of H22 liver cancer cells and the survival of the tumor-bearing mice transplanted with H22 cells.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Polysaccharide from PPN was added to the culture medium of mouse hepatoma H22 cells at different doses. Cell proliferation was assayed with a standard MTT assay. Survival rates of tumor-bearing mice were recorded. Peripheral blood lymphocytes were assayed by flow cytometry. Serum interleukin-2 levels in peripheral blood were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

RESULTS

Polysaccharide from PPN inhibited the growth of H22 cells and significantly prolonged the survival of tumor-bearing mice. The increase in activated CD4(+) T-cells and the elevation of serum interleukin-2 may contribute to the antitumor activity of PPN.

CONCLUSION

PPN has potential antitumor activity for the treatment of liver cancer.

Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction, Antioxidant and Anticancer Activities of the Polysaccharides from Rhynchosia minima Root

Box-Behnken design (BBD), one of the most common response surface methodology (RSM) methods, was used to optimize the experimental conditions for ultrasound-assisted extraction of polysaccharides from Rhynchosia minima root (PRM). The antioxidant abilities and anticancer activity of purified polysaccharide fractions were also measured. The results showed that optimal extraction parameters were as follows: ultrasound exposure time, 21 min; ratio of water to material, 46 mL/g; ultrasound extraction temperature, 63 °C. Under these conditions, the maximum yield of PRM was 16.95% ± 0.07%. Furthermore, the main monosaccharides of purified fractions were Ara and Gal. PRM3 and PRM5 exhibited remarkable DPPH radical scavenging activities and reducing power in vitro. PRM3 showed strong inhibitory activities on the growth of MCF-7 cells in vitro. The above results indicate that polysaccharides from R. minima root have the potential to be developed as natural antioxidants and anticancer ingredients for the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Types, principle, and characteristics of tandem high-resolution mass spectrometry and its applications

We review the principle and functional characteristics of different types or models for THRMS and provide a brief description of its applications in medical research, food safety, and environmental protection fields.