Mixed polysaccharides derived from Shiitake mushroom, Poriacocos, Ginger, and Tangerine peel enhanced protective immune responses in mice induced by inactivated influenza vaccine

Immune-enhancing activity of compound polysaccharide on the inactivated influenza vaccine

Traditional Chinese medicine polysaccharides have numerous biological activities with broad applications in the biomedical industries. However, a clear understanding of the pharmacological activities of compound polysaccharides with multi-component structures remain challenging. This study aimed to investigate the immune boosting effect of compound polysaccharides on the influenza vaccine and assess the preliminary structure-activity relationship. The compound polysaccharide (CP) was isolated from the combined Chinese herbs lentinan, pachymaran and tremellan, and purified by gradient ethanol precipitation to obtain its subcomponents of CP-20, CP-40, CP-60, and CP-80 with decreasing molecular weights. These polysaccharides were mainly composed of glucans with different linkage patterns, including α-(1 → 3)-glucan, α-(1 → 4)-glucan and β-(1 → 6)-glucan. A significant improvement was observed in the survival of mice vaccinated with inactivated (IAV) vaccine and the isolated polysaccharides as adjuvants. A reduction in the pulmonary virus titer and weight loss were also observed. Moreover, CP-40 and CP-60, as well as the original CP, significantly enhanced the serum anti-IAV antibody titers and interleukin IL-2, IL-5, and IL-6 concentrations. These preliminary results indicate the immune boosting effect of the compound polysaccharides is highly relevant to the specific structural properties of the subcomponent, and CP-40 is worthy of further exploration as a glycan adjuvant for the IAV vaccine.

Improving Ginger's Bioactive Composition by Combining Innovative Drying and Extraction Technologies

Ginger extracts (GEs) are antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory. Their bioactivity can benefit foods and active packaging by extending shelf life, enhancing safety, and providing health benefits. Highly bioactive GEs are crucial to formulating potent active products and avoiding negative effects on their properties. Sesquiterpenes and phenolics are the main bioactives in ginger, but drying and extraction affect their composition. GEs are usually obtained from dry rhizomes; however, these operations have been studied independently. Therefore, a combined study of innovative drying and extraction technologies to evaluate their influence on extracts' composition will bring knowledge on how to increase the bioactivity of GEs. The effects of an emergent drying (vacuum microwave, VMD) followed by an emergent extraction (ultrasound, UAE, 20 or 80 °C) were investigated in this work. Microwave extraction (MAE) of fresh ginger was also studied. Convective oven drying and Soxhlet extraction were the references. Drying kinetics, powder color, extract composition, and antioxidant activity were studied. While MAE preserved the original composition profile, VMD combined with UAE (20 °C) produced extracts richer in phenolics (387.6 mg.GAE/g) and antioxidant activity (2100.7 mmol.Trolox/mL), with low impact in the sesquiterpenes. VMD generated shogaols by its high temperatures and facilitated extracting bioactives by destroying cellular structures and forming pores. UAE extracted these compounds selectively, released them from cell structures, and avoided losses caused by volatilization and thermal degradation. These findings have significant implications, as they provide an opportunity to obtain GE with tailored compositions that can enhance the formulation of food, active packaging, and pharmacological products.

Extraction, Purification, Structural Characteristics, Biological Activities, and Applications of the Polysaccharides from Zingiber officinale Roscoe. (Ginger): A Review

Zingiber officinale Roscoe. (ginger) is a widely distributed plant with a long history of cultivation and consumption. Ginger can be used as a spice, condiment, food, nutrition, and as an herb. Significantly, the polysaccharides extracted from ginger show surprising and satisfactory biological activity, which explains the various benefits of ginger on human health, including anti-influenza, anti-colitis, anti-tussive, anti-oxidant, anti-tumor effects. Here, we systematically review the major studies on the extraction and purification of polysaccharides from ginger in recent years, the characterization of their chemical structure, biological activity, and structure-activity relationships, and the applications of ginger polysaccharides in different fields. This article will update and deepen the understanding of ginger polysaccharide and provide a theoretical basis for its further research and application in human health and product development.

Medicinal Fungi with Antiviral Effect

Pandemics from various viruses make natural organisms face challenges over and over again. Therefore, new antiviral drugs urgently need to be found to solve this problem. However, drug research and development is a very difficult task, and finding new antiviral compounds is desirable. A range of medicinal fungi such as Ganoderma lucidum and Cordyceps sinensis are widely used all over the world, and they can enhance human immunity and direct anti-virus activities and other aspects to play an antiviral role. Medicinal fungi are used as foods or as food supplements. In this review, the species of medicinal fungi with antiviral activity in recent decades and the mechanism of antiviral components were reviewed from the perspectives of human, animal, and plant viruses to provide a comprehensive theory based on better clinical utilization of medicinal fungi as antiviral agents.

Impact of drying and extractions processes on the recovery of gingerols and shogaols, the main bioactive compounds of ginger

Ginger extracts have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antitumor, and antibacterial activities mainly due to gingerols and shogaols. Extract composition and functionality can be affected by drying and extraction processes. Alternative methods to obtain ginger extracts based on high contents of gingerols and shogaols have been reported. However, there were no studies that present a broad overview of how these methods affect the composition and functionalities of ginger extracts. Based on literature data from 2011 to 2022, this review shows how drying, extraction, and complementary processes (i.e., enzymatic, acidic, and carbonic maceration) affect the composition and bioactivity of the ginger extract. Lower temperature processes, including freeze-drying, cold ultrasound-, or enzyme-assisted extraction, lead to extracts richer in phenolics, gingerols, and antioxidant activity. On the other hand, acidic solvents or "hot" processes including microwave-drying, pressurized liquid, and microwave-assisted extraction can favor higher shogaols concentrations, which have higher antitumor, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activities than the gingerols precursors. Thus, in this review, we analyzed and discussed the relation between ginger processing and their bioactive compounds, focusing especially on gingerols and shogaols, as well as the main processes that increase the content of 6-shogaol without compromising other phenolic compounds to produce highly functional extracts for future applications in the food packaging sector.

Wen Dan Tang: A Potential Jing Fang Decoction for Headache Disorders?

Background: Chinese herbal medicine is considered relatively safe, inexpensive, and easily accessible. Wen Dan Tang (WDT), a Jing Fang ancient classical Chinese herbal formula with a broad indication profile has been used for several centuries in China to treat various illnesses. Question: Are there evidence-based clinical trials that show that WDT has a significant impact on the treatment of various diseases, especially in patients with migraine and tension-type headaches (TTH)? Methods: This study is based on an online database search using PubMed, Medline, Cochrane Library, AcuTrials, Embase, Semantic Scholar, Jstor, internet research, and review of ancient and modern Chinese medical textbooks regarding WDT and its compounds. Results: There were no studies on WDT in migraine and TTH; therefore, this work gathers and describes data for every single compound in the formula. Conclusion: This study suggests that the bioactive compounds found in WDT composition show potential in treating patients with neurological, psychiatric disorders, cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome, and digestive disorders. Some coherence between WDT in headache reduction and improvements in the quality of life in patients with migraines and TTH could be evaluated, showing positive results of WDT in these patients.

Protective effect of the combination of essential oil from patchouli and tangerine peel against gastric ulcer in rats

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Essential oil (EO) is the main extract of patchouli and tangerine peel with antiinflammatory, antiulcer, and other functions. However, the efficacy and mechanism of the combination of EO from patchouli and tangerine peel against gastric ulcer (GU) are unclear.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This study aims to reveal the protective effect of the combination of EO from patchouli and tangerine peel against GU in rats, as well as explore the optimal ratio and possible mechanism of EO in GU treatment.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The GU model is executed via water immersion and restraint stress. The repair effect of EO in different proportions on gastric mucosa injury and the effects on serum gastrin (GAS), pepsinogen C (PGC), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), and 5-hydroxytryptamine in GU rats were observed. The optimal ratio obtained was used in the second part to set different dose groups for further experiment. The effects of the different EO doses on gastric mucosal ulcer formation and gastric acid secretion were evaluated. The morphology of chief and parietal cells were observed via transmission electron microscopy. The contents of GAS, PGC, substance P (SP), cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), cholecystokinin (CCK), PGE2, and motilin (MTL) in serum in different groups were detected via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Expressions of epidermal growth factor (EGF) and trefoil factor 2 (TFF2) protein in gastric tissues were detected via immunohistochemistry, and expressions of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), P53, Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax), and Caspase-3 protein in gastric tissues were detected via western blotting.

RESULTS

The EO from patchouli and tangerine peel at 1:2 ratio of compatibility significantly improved gastric mucosal injury, decreased serum GAS and PGC contents, and increased the PGE2 level in serum (p < 0.05). The mixture of EO from patchouli and tangerine peel (Mix-EO) can reduce the formation of gastric mucosal ulcers, reduce gastric mucosal injury, improve the expansion of the endoplasmic reticulum of the chief cells, repair mitochondrial damage, and inhibit the secretion of gastric acid by parietal cells. Mix-EO at 300 mg/kg can reduce the expression of serum GAS, PGC, SP, CCK, and cAMP/cGMP (p < 0.05 or 0.01); increase the expression of EGF and TFF2 protein in gastric tissues (p < 0.01); and inhibit the expression of JNK, p53, Bax, and Caspase-3 proteins (p < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

The combination of EO from patchouli and tangerine peel can repair the gastric mucosal damage in GU rats and prevent the occurrence of ulcers by inhibiting the secretion of gastric acid, enhancing the defensive ability of gastric mucosa, and suppressing the apoptosis of gastric epithelial cells. Moreover, the optimal compatible ratio of patchouli and tangerine peel is 1:2.

Mixed polysaccharides derived from shiitake mushroom, Poriacocos, Ginger, and Tangerine peel prevent the H1N1 virus infections in mice

The pandemic influenza A (H1N1) virus spread globally and posed one of the most serious global public health challenges. The traditional Chinese medicine is served as a complementary treatment strategy with vaccine immunization. Here, we demonstrated that the mixed polysaccharides (MPs) derived from shiitake mushroom, poriacocos, ginger, and tyangerine peel prevent the H1N1 virus infections in mice. MP pretreatment attenuated H1N1 virus-induced weight loss, clinical symptoms, and death. The lymphocytes detection results showed that the CD3+, CD19+, and CD25+ cell proportions were upregulated in thymus under MP pretreatment. Besides, MP pretreatment reduced the inflammatory cell infiltration and increased the cell proportions of CD19+, CD25+, and CD278+ in lung. However, MP treatment have no effective therapeutic effect after H1N1 virus challenge. The current study suggested that pretreatment with MPs could attenuate H1N1 virus-induced lung injury and upregulate humoral and cellular immune responses in nonimmunized mice.

Immunization with recombinant Erns-LTB fusion protein elicits protective immune responses against bovine viral diarrhea virus

Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), a major infectious pathogen and is associated with major economic losses and significant impact on animal welfare worldwide. Here, recombinant E^rns-LTB protein vaccine containing MF59 adjuvant was prepared and assessed using a mouse model. The recombinant plasmid (pET32a-E^rns-LTB) was constructed and transformed into BL21 (DE3) cells to produce E^rns-LTB protein. The E^rns-LTB protein was formulated with MF59 adjuvant, when delivered intraperitoneally in mice, exhibited higher immunogenic and induced superior levels of anti-BVDV IgG compared with the MF59 adjuvanted E^rns protein. Importantly, after challenged with different BVDV BJ175170 and BJ1305 isolate strains, mice inoculated with E^rns-LTB protein displayed alleviated pathological damage and decreased plasma virus shedding compared with mice inoculated with E^rns protein. The enhanced protection from E^rns-LTB protein is mediated by T cell immunity and primarily based on CD4⁺ T helper (Th) and CD8⁺ cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL), these results suggest that E^rns-LTB protein has potential to protect against a broad range of BVDV strains thereby providing a novel direction for developing broadly protective vaccines.

Immune-enhanced effect of Iris polysaccharide is protective against leptospirosis

Leptospirosis, caused by pathogenic Leptospira species, is an essential but neglected zoonosis. There are more than 300 serovars of pathogenic Leptospira, while inactivated bacteria offers only short-term serovar-specific protection. Leptospirosis treatment is mainly dependent on the use of antibiotics. However, the side effects of antibiotics and the risk of antibiotic resistance remain major problems. Thus, alternative agents which are fewer side effects on humans and efficient in leptospirosis would be welcome. Many studies have reported that polysaccharides could be used as immunostimulants in treating infection and cancer. In this study, we examined the protective effect of polysaccharides isolated from Iris against leptospirosis. To our knowledge, it is the first time to report Iris polysaccharides (IP) as an immunostimulant in treating infection. The results showed that IP treatment significantly increased the survival rate of hamsters challenged by a lethal dose of leptospires. Besides, the tissue injury and leptospiral load were reduced in IP-treated infection group compared with the untreated infection group at 4 days post-infection (p.i.). Intriguingly, IP treatment sustained intense immune response at 4 days p.i. analyzed by qPCR. The results exhibited that the gene expression of TLR2 and TLR4 was significantly increased in the group coinjected with IP and leptospires than in the infected controls. And the expression of IL-1β and TNF-α were also up-regulated after IP treatment, except the expression of IL-1β in the kidney. Our results not only broaden the medicinal value of Iris, but also provide a competent candidate for the control of Leptospira infection.

Occurrence and possible roles of polysaccharides in fungi and their influence on the development of new technologies

The article summarizes the roles of polysaccharides in the biology of fungi and their relationship in the development of new technologies. The comparative approach between the evolution of fungi and the chemistry of glycobiology elucidated relevant aspects about the role of polysaccharides in fungi. Also, based on the knowledge of fungal glycobiology, it was possible to address the development of new technologies, such as the production of new anti-tumor drugs, vaccines, biomaterials, and applications in the field of robotics. We conclude that polysaccharides activate pathways of apoptosis, secretion of pro-inflammatory substances, and macrophage, inducing anticancer activity. Also, the activation of the immune system, which opens the way for the production of vaccines. The development of biomaterials and parts for robotics is a promising and little-explored field. Finally, the article is multidisciplinary, with a different and integrated approach to the role of nature in the sustainable development of new technologies.