Physiochemical and biological properties of phosphorylated polysaccharides from Dictyophora indusiata

Progress in phosphorylation of natural products

Natural medicines are a valuable resource for the development of new drugs. However, factors such as low solubility and poor bioavailability of certain constituents have hindered their efficacy and potential as pharmaceuticals. Structural modification of natural products has emerged as an important research area for drug development. Phosphorylation groups, as crucial endogenous active groups, have been extensively utilized for structural modification and development of new drugs based on natural molecules. Incorporating phosphate groups into natural molecules not only enhances their stability, bioavailability, and pharmacological properties, but also improves their biological activity by altering their charge, hydrogen bonding, and spatial structure. This review summarizes the phosphorylation mechanism, modification approaches, and biological activity enhancement of natural medicines. Notably, compounds such as polysaccharides, flavonoids, terpenoids, anthraquinones, and coumarins exhibit increased antioxidation, anticancer, antiviral, immune regulatory, Antiaging, enzyme inhibition, bacteriostasis, liver protection, and lipid-lowering effects following phosphorylation modification.

Natural polysaccharides and their derivatives targeting the tumor microenvironment: A review

Polysaccharides have gained attention as valuable supplements and natural medicinal resources, particularly for their anti-tumor properties. Their low toxicity and potent anti-tumor effects make them promising candidates for cancer prevention and treatment. The tumor microenvironment is crucial in tumor development and offers potential avenues for novel cancer therapies. Research indicates that polysaccharides can positively influence the tumor microenvironment. However, the structural complexity of most anti-tumor polysaccharides, often heteropolysaccharides, poses challenges for structural analysis. To enhance their pharmacological activity, researchers have modified the structure and properties of natural polysaccharides based on structure-activity relationships, and they have discovered that many polysaccharides exhibit significantly enhanced anti-tumor activity after chemical modification. This article reviews recent strategies for targeting the tumor microenvironment with polysaccharides and briefly discusses the structure-activity relationships of anti-tumor polysaccharides. It also summarises the main chemical modification methods of polysaccharides and discusses the impact of chemical modifications on the anti-tumor activity of polysaccharides. The review aims to lay a theoretical foundation for the development of anti-tumor polysaccharides and their derivatives.

Steady-State Delivery and Chemical Modification of Food Nutrients to Improve Cancer Intervention Ability

Cancer is a crucial global health problem, and prevention is an important strategy to reduce the burden of the disease. Daily diet is the key modifiable risk factor for cancer, and an increasing body of evidence suggests that specific nutrients in foods may have a preventive effect against cancer. This review summarizes the current evidence on the role of nutrients from foods in cancer intervention. It discusses the potential mechanisms of action of various dietary components, including phytochemicals, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. The findings of epidemiological and clinical studies on their association with cancer risk are highlighted. The foods are rich in bioactive compounds such as carotenoids, flavonoids, and ω-3 fatty acids, which have been proven to have anticancer properties. The effects of steady-state delivery and chemical modification of these food's bioactive components on anticancer and intervention are summarized. Future research should focus on identifying the specific bioactive compounds in foods responsible for their intervention effects and exploring the potential synergistic effects of combining different nutrients in foods. Dietary interventions that incorporate multiple nutrients and whole foods may hold promise for reducing the risk of cancer and improving overall health.

The function and application of edible fungal polysaccharides

Edible fungi, commonly known as mushrooms, are precious medicinal and edible homologous gifts from nature to us. Edible fungal polysaccharides (EFPs) are a variety of bioactive macromolecular which isolated from fruiting bodies, mycelia or fermentation broths of edible or medicinal fungus. Increasing researches have confirmed that EFPs possess multiple biological activities both in vitro and in vivo settings, including antioxidant, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, anti-tumor, hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, and regulating intestinal flora activities. As a result, they have emerged as a prominent focus in the healthcare, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. Fungal EFPs have safe, non-toxic, biodegradable, and biocompatible properties with low immunogenicity, bioadhesion ability, and antibacterial activities, presenting diverse potential applications in the food industries, cosmetic, biomedical, packaging, and new materials. Moreover, varying raw materials, extraction, purification, chemical modification methods, and culture conditions can result in variances in the structure and biological activities of EFPs. The purpose of this review is to provide comprehensively and systematically organized information on the structure, modification, biological activities, and potential applications of EFPs to support their therapeutic effects and health functions. This review provides new insights and a theoretical basis for prospective investigations and advancements in EFPs in fields such as medicine, food, and new materials.

Structurally Modified Polysaccharides: Physicochemical Properties, Biological Activities, Structure-Activity Relationship, and Applications

Polysaccharides are an important class of biomolecules derived from several sources. However, the inherent structure of polysaccharides prevents them from exhibiting favorable physicochemical properties, which restricts their development in agriculture, industry, food, and biomedicine. This paper systematically summarizes the changes in the primary and advanced structures of modified polysaccharides, and focuses on the effects of various modification methods on the hydrophobicity, rheological properties, emulsifying properties, antioxidant activity, hypoglycemic, and hypolipidemic activities of polysaccharides. Then there is a list the applications of modified polysaccharides in treating heavy metal pollutants, purifying water resources, improving beverage stability and bread quality, and precisely delivering the drug. When summarized and reviewed, the information above can shed further light on the relationship between polysaccharide structure and function. Determining the structure-activity relationship provides a scientific basis for the direction of molecular modifications of polysaccharides.

Phosphorylation Modification, Structural Characterization, Antioxidant and DNA Protection Capacities of Polysaccharides from Asarum Sieboldii Miq

Polysaccharide from Asarum sieboldii Miq (ASP) was extracted and five phosphorylation polysaccharides with different degree of substitution were obtained, namely ASPP1, ASPP2, ASPP3, ASPP4, and ASPP5 (ASPPs). The physical and chemical structure and biological activities were studied. The results suggested that the carbohydrate and protein content were reduced while uronic acid was increased after phosphorylation modification. The molecular weight of ASPPs was significantly lower than that of ASP. ASPPs were acidic heteropolysaccharides mainly composed of galacturonic acid, galactose, glucose, fructose, and arabinose. The UV-vis spectrum indicated that the polysaccharides did not contain nucleic acid or protein after modification. The Fourier transform infrared spectrum demonstrated that ASPPs contained characteristic absorption peaks of P=O and P-O-C near 1270 and 980 cm-1 . ASPPs presented a triple helix conformation, but it was not presented in ASP. The scanning electron microscopy analysis showed that the surface topography and particle structure of ASP were different after modification. Compared with ASP, ASPPs enhanced the activity to scavenge DPPH and ABTS free radicals and possessed more protective ability to DNA oxidation caused by OH⋅, GS⋅, and AAPH free radicals. These results suggest that chemical modification is beneficial for the exploitation and utilization of natural polysaccharides.

Preparation of Phosphorylated Auricularia cornea var. Li. Polysaccharide Liposome Gel and Analysis of Its In Vitro Antioxidant Activity

In this study, Auricularia cornea var. Li. polysaccharides (ACP) were used as the research object to prepare liposome gel and determine its antioxidant activity in vitro. Phosphorylated Auricularia cornea var. Li. polysaccharides (P-ACP) were prepared via the phosphorylation of ACP by the phosphate method. Additionally, phosphorylated Auricularia cornea var. Li. polysaccharide liposomes (P-ACPL) were prepared using a reverse evaporation method. Finally, phosphorylated Auricularia cornea var. Li. polysaccharide liposome gel (P-ACPLG) was prepared by dispersing the P-ACPL in the gel matrix. The results show that the phosphorylation of the P-ACP was 15.51%, the containment rate of the P-ACPL was 84.50%, the average particle size was (192.2 ± 3.3) nm, and the particle size distribution map had a homogeneous peak, resulting in the particle dispersion being uniform and the polydispersion index (PDI) being 0.134 ± 0.021. The average Zeta potential was (-33.4 ± 0.57) mV. In addition, the in vitro antioxidant activity of the P-ACPL was slightly higher than that of the ACP and P-ACP. After the P-ACPL was emulsified into P-ACPLG, the DPPH, hydroxyl radical clearance, and reducing the ability of P-ACPL remained unchanged. In general, the P-ACPLG prepared in this study has good antioxidant activity in vitro and can retain the antioxidant activity of P-ACPL in vitro well.

Protective effect of phosphorylated Athyrium multidentatum (Doll.) Ching polysaccharide on vascular endothelial cells in vitro and in vivo

The purpose of this study was to prepare phosphorylated Athyrium multidentatum (Doll.) Ching polysaccharide (PPS) and investigate its protective effect on vascular endothelial cells (VECs) in vitro and in vivo and the underlying mechanisms. Sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP) and sodium trimetaphosphate (STMP) were used as phosphorylation reagents and PPS was characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), 13 C nuclear magnetic resonance (13 C NMR) and 31 P nuclear magnetic resonance (31 P NMR) spectra. Chemical analysis demonstrated that PPS was composed of mannose, glucosamine, rhamnose, glucuronic acid, galacturonic acid, galactosamine, glucose, galactose, xylose, arabinose, and fucose with a molar ratio of 11.36:0.42:4.03:1.12:1.81:0.26:33.25:24.12:6.85:14.46:2.32 and a molecular weight of 28,837 Da. Results from in vitro and in vivo assays revealed that PPS protected human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) against H2 O2 -induced oxidative injury and attenuated D-galactose-induced VECs damage in mice. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis identified 18 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between D-galactose-treated and PPS-pretreated mice abdominal aorta. A deep analysis of these DEGs disclosed that PPS regulated the expression of genes involved in the functions of vascular endothelium repairment, cell growth and proliferation, cell survival and apoptosis, inflammation, angiogenesis and antioxidant, indicating that these biological processes might play crucial roles in the protective actions of PPS on VECs.

Ultrasonic-assisted extraction, analysis and properties of mung bean peel polysaccharide

In order to improve the yield of mung bean peel polysaccharide, on the basis of single-factor experiments, the ultrasonic assisted extraction conditions were optimized by response surface methodology (RSM). The results showed that under the conditions of material-liquid ratio of 1: 40, temperature 77 °C, ultrasonic power 216 W and extraction time 47 min, the extraction rate of mung bean peel polysaccharide was the best, which was 2.55 %. The extracted polysaccharide was phosphorylated and its antioxidant activity in vitro was studied. The results suggested that the modified polysaccharide had a significant scavenging effect on hydroxyl radicals and enhanced the ability of anti-lipid peroxidation, which offered ideas and methods for the development and application of mung bean peel polysaccharide.

Structural Modification and Biological Activity of Polysaccharides

Natural polysaccharides are macromolecular substances with a wide range of biological activities. The structural modification of polysaccharides by chemical means can enhance their biological activity. This paper reviews the latest research reports on the chemical modification of natural polysaccharides. At present, the modification methods of polysaccharides mainly include sulfation, phosphorylation, carboxymethylation, socialization, methylation and acetylation. The chemical and physical structures of the modified polysaccharides were detected via ultraviolet spectroscopy, FT-IR, high-performance liquid chromatography, ultraviolet spectroscopy, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance and scanning electron microscopy. Modern pharmacological studies have shown that the modified polysaccharide has various biological activities, such as antioxidant, antitumor, immune regulation, antiviral, antibacterial and anticoagulant functions in vitro. This review provides fresh ideas for the research and application of polysaccharide structure modification.

Arginine deiminase produced by lactic acid bacteria as a potent anti-cancer drug

Bacterial-based cancer immunotherapy has recently gained widespread attention due to its exceptional mechanism of rich pathogen-associated molecular patterns in anti-cancer immune responses. Contrary to conventional cancer therapies such as surgery, chemotherapy, radiation and phototherapy, bacteria-based cancer immunotherapy has the unique ability to suppress cancer by selectively accumulating and growing in tumours. In the view of this, several bacterial strains are being used for the treatment of cancer. Of which, lactic acid bacteria are a powerful, albeit still inadequately understood bacteria that possess a wide source of bioactive chemicals. Lactic acid bacteria metabolites, such as bacteriocins, short-chain fatty acids, exopolysaccharides show antitumour property. Amino acid pathways, which have lately been focussed as a new strategy to cancer therapy, are key element of the adaptability and dysregulation of metabolic pathways identified in proliferation of tumour cells. Arginine metabolism, in particular, has been shown to be critical for cancer therapy. As a result, better understanding of arginine metabolism in LAB and cancer cells could lead to new cancer therapeutic targets. This review will outline current advances in the interaction of arginine metabolism with cancer therapy and propose an arginine deiminase expression system to combat cancer more effectively.

Preparation, characterization and biological activity of phosphorylated surface deacetylated chitin nanofibers

Phosphorylation is a key route to achieve varieties of biological activities for polysaccharides. Here, we report the phosphorylated surface deacetylated chitin nanofibers (PS-ChNFs) using the sodium tripolyphosphate/sodium trimetaphosphate (STPP/STMP) method. Response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to optimize in this study. Under optimal conditions, a maximum degree of substitution (DS) of 0.13 was obtained. In addition, the structures of PS-ChNFs were investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectra (NMR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and (Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy-mapping) EDS-mapping. The findings revealed that the FT-IR spectroscopy and XPS analysis confirmed the appearance of phosphate groups in PS-ChNFs. The ³¹P NMR results indicate that the PS-ChNFs structure has characteristic peaks of P elements. SEM images showed that PS-ChNFs had a rough surface with many cavities, but the P elements on the surface of the EDS-mapping are uniformly distributed throughout the sample without any enrichment. Antioxidant and antibacterial test showed that PS-ChNFs had significant scavenging effect on free radicals and antibacterial effect. The above results indicate that the chemical modification of PS-ChNFs was successful.

Phosphorylated polysaccharides: Applications, natural abundance, and new-to-nature structures generated by chemical and enzymatic functionalization

Polysaccharides are foreseen as serious candidates for the future generation of polymers, as they are biosourced and biodegradable materials. Their functionalisation is an attractive way to modify their properties, thereby increasing their range of applications. Introduction of phosphate groups in polysaccharide chains for the stimulation of the immune system was first described in the nineteen seventies. Since then, the use of phosphorylated polysaccharides has been proposed in various domains, such as healthcare, water treatment, cosmetic, biomaterials, etc. These alternative usages capitalize on newly acquired physico-chemical or biological properties, leading to materials as diverse as flame-resistant agents or drug delivery systems. Phosphorylated polysaccharides are found in Nature and need to be extracted to assess their biological potential. However, they are not abundant, often present complex backbones hard to characterize, and most of them have a low phosphate content. These drawbacks have pushed forward the development of chemical phosphorylation employing a wide variety of phosphorylating agents to obtain polysaccharides with a large range of phosphate content. Chemical phosphorylation requires the use of harsh conditions and toxic, petroleum-based solvents, which hinders their exploitation in the food and health industry. Over the last 20 years, although enzymes are regiospecific catalysts that work in aqueous and mild conditions, enzymatic phosphorylation has been little investigated. To date, only three families of enzymes have been used for the in vitro phosphorylation of polysaccharides. Considering the number of unresolved metabolic pathways leading to phosphorylated polysaccharides, the huge diversity of kinase sequences, and the recent progress in protein engineering one can envision native and engineered kinases as promising tools for polysaccharide phosphorylation.

Polysaccharides Derived from Mushrooms in Immune and Antitumor Activity: A Review

Mushrooms are full of nutrition and have beneficial properties for human health. Polysaccharides are the main component of edible and medicinal mushrooms, especially β-glucans, which have attracted much more attention for their complex structure and diverse biological activities. Among all the diverse medicinal activities of mushroom polysaccharides, antitumor and immune-enhancing activities are two excellent bioactivities that have much more potential and deserve application. Their bioactivities are highly dependent on their structural features, including molecular weight, monosaccharide composition, degree of branching, type and configuration of glycosidic bonds, substituent pattern, and chain conformation. This review summarizes the current method for obtaining polysaccharides from mushrooms, chemical characterizations of the structures and their roles in immune and antitumor activities. In addition, the methods for preparation of the polysaccharide derivatives and the potential medicinal clinical application are also discussed in this review, which may provide new guidance for mushroom polysaccharide development.

Preparation, characterization, structural analysis and antioxidant activities of phosphorylated polysaccharide from Sanchi (Panax notoginseng) flower

In this study, phosphorylation effects on the monosaccharide composition, structural attributes, morphology and radical-scavenging activities of Sanchi (Panax notoginseng) flower polysaccharides were investigated. Sanchi flower phosphorylated polysaccharides mainly comprised of Man, Rha, GluA, GalA, Glu, Gal and Xyl, but lacked GluN, Rib, Arab and Fuc in their compositions. FTIR analysis of phosphorylated polysaccharides showed an emergence of new absorption peak around spectral region of 1254 cm-1. NMR and FTIR analyses were indicative of the successful phosphorylation of the Sanchi flower polysaccharides. The introduction of phosphate groups into polysaccharides led to the induction of pore-like structures in polysaccharides configuration. Phosphorylation of polysaccharides led to concentration-dependent increasing tendencies in radical-scavenging activities. These findings demonstrated the positive impact of phosphorylation on Sanchi flower polysaccharides, which could potentially be used as a therapeutic agent.

Chemical Modification, Characterization, and Activity Changes of Land Plant Polysaccharides: A Review

Plant polysaccharides are widely found in nature and have a variety of biological activities, including immunomodulatory, antioxidative, and antitumoral. Due to their low toxicity and easy absorption, they are widely used in the health food and pharmaceutical industries. However, low activity hinders the wide application. Chemical modification is an important method to improve plant polysaccharides' physical and chemical properties. Through chemical modification, the antioxidant and immunomodulatory abilities of polysaccharides were significantly improved. Some polysaccharides with poor water solubility also significantly improved their water solubility after modification. Chemical modification of plant polysaccharides has become an important research direction. Research on the modification of plant polysaccharides is currently increasing, but a review of the various modification studies is absent. This paper reviews the research progress of chemical modification (sulfation, phosphorylation, acetylation, selenization, and carboxymethylation modification) of land plant polysaccharides (excluding marine plant polysaccharides and fungi plant polysaccharides) during the period of January 2012-June 2022, including the preparation, characterization, and biological activity of modified polysaccharides. This study will provide a basis for the deep application of land plant polysaccharides in food, nutraceuticals, and pharmaceuticals.

Recent advances in medicinal and edible homologous polysaccharides: Extraction, purification, structure, modification, and biological activities

110 kinds of traditional Chinese medicines can be used for medicine and food from Chinese pharmacopoeia in 2021. With the deepening of research in recent years, medicinal and edible homologous (MEH) traditional Chinese medicines have great development and application prospects in many fields. Polysaccharides are one of the major and representative pharmacologically active macromolecules in traditional Chinese medicines with MEH. Moreover, traditional Chinese medicines with MEH have become the main source of natural polysaccharides with safety, high efficiency, and low side effects. Increasing researches have confirmed that MEH polysaccharides (MEHPs) have multiple biological activities both in vitro and in vivo methods, such as antioxidant, immunomodulatory, anti-tumor, anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic activities, and regulating intestinal flora. Additionally, different raw materials, extraction, purification, and chemical modification methods result in differences in the structure and biological activities of MEHPs. The purpose of the present review is to provide comprehensively and systematically reorganized information in the extraction, purification, structure, modification, biological activities, and potential mechanism of MEHPs to support their therapeutic effects and health functions. New valuable insights and theoretical basis for the future researches and developments regarding MEHPs were proposed in the fields of medicine and food.

Extraction, purification, structure, modification, and biological activity of traditional Chinese medicine polysaccharides: A review

Traditional Chinese medicines (TCM), as the unique natural resource, are rich in polysaccharides, polyphenols, proteins, amino acid, fats, vitamins, and other components. Hence, TCM have high medical and nutritional values. Polysaccharides are one of the most important active components in TCM. Growing reports have indicated that TCM polysaccharides (TCMPs) have various biological activities, such as antioxidant, anti-aging, immunomodulatory, hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, and other activities. Hence, the research progresses and future prospects of TCMPs must be systematically reviewed to promote their better understanding. The aim of this review is to provide comprehensive and systematic recombinant information on the extraction, purification, structure, chemical modification, biological activities, and potential mechanism of TCMPs to support their therapeutic effects and health functions. The findings provide new valuable insights and theoretical basis for future research and development of TCMPs.

Structural characterization, antioxidant activity and anti-inflammatory of the phosphorylated polysaccharide from Pholiota nameko

In this study, a novel polysaccharide (SPN) was extracted by high-temperature pressure method and purified by a DEAE-52 column and a Sephadx G-100 gel column. PPN was obtained after phosphorylation of SPN. The differences of structural features, antioxidant activity, and anti-inflammatory effect of the two polysaccharides were investigated by chemical methods and RAW 264.7 cell model. SPN (Mw = 15.8 kDa) and PPN (Mw = 27.7 kDa) are an acidic polysaccharide with β-pyranose configuration, mainly containing rhamnose, mannose, glucose, arabinose, and galacose. FI-IR, NMR, and SEM spectra showed phosphorylation of SPN changed its structure. In methylation analysis, the major chains of SPN and PPN were 1,4-linked Glcp, 1,6-linked Galp, 1,2-linked Rhap, and 1.6-linked Manp with terminals of t-linked Glcp, t-linked Araf. The side chain of SPN was 1,4,6-linked Galp, 1,2,5-linked Araf, while the side chain of PPN was 1,4,6-linked Galp, 1,2,4-linked Glcp. In antioxidant activity experiments, the free radical scavenging rate of PPN was stronger than that of SPN. Also, PPN always has better anti-inflammatory on RAW 264.7 cells induced by LPS than that of SPN in same concentration, and it plays an anti-inflammatory role by inhibiting PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. The results indicated polysaccharide could significantly improve its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory function after phosphorylation. This study provides a potentially antioxidant and anti-inflammatory health food and drug.

Synthesis and application of phosphorylated saccharides in researching carbohydrate-based drugs

Phosphorylated saccharides are valuable targets in glycochemistry and glycobiology, which play an important role in various physiological and pathological processes. The current research on phosphorylated saccharides primarily focuses on small molecule inhibitors, glycoconjugate vaccines and novel anti-tumour targeted drug carrier materials. It can maximise the pharmacological effects and reduce the toxicity risk caused by nonspecific off-target reactions of drug molecules. However, the number and types of natural phosphorylated saccharides are limited, and the complexity and heterogeneity of their structures after extraction and separation seriously restrict their applications in pharmaceutical development. The increasing demands for the research on these molecules have extensively promoted the development of carbohydrate synthesis. Numerous innovative synthetic methodologies have been reported regarding the continuous expansion of the potential building blocks, catalysts, and phosphorylation reagents. This review summarizes the latest methods for enzymatic and chemical synthesis of phosphorylated saccharides, emphasizing their breakthroughs in yield, reactivity, regioselectivity, and application scope. Additionally, the anti-bacterial, anti-tumour, immunoregulatory and other biological activities of some phosphorylated saccharides and their applications were also reviewed. Their structure-activity relationship and mechanism of action were discussed and the key phosphorylation characteristics, sites and extents responsible for observed biological activities were emphasised. This paper will provide a reference for the application of phosphorylated saccharide in the research of carbohydrate-based drugs in the future.

Polysaccharides as Potential Anti-tumor Biomacromolecules —A Review

Cancer, as one of the most life-threatening diseases, has attracted the attention of researchers to develop drugs with minimal side effects. The bioactive macromolecules, such as the polysaccharides, are considered the potential candidates against cancer due to their anti-tumor activities and non-toxic characteristics. The present review provides an overview on polysaccharides' extraction, isolation, purification, mechanisms for their anti-tumor activities, structure-activity relationships, absorption and metabolism of polysaccharides, and the applications of polysaccharides in anti-tumor therapy. Numerous research showed extraction methods of polysaccharides had a significant influence on their activities. Additionally, the anti-tumor activities of the polysaccharides are closely related to their structure, while molecular modification and high bioavailability may enhance the anti-tumor activity. Moreover, most of the polysaccharides exerted an anti-tumor activity mainly through the cell cycle arrest, anti-angiogenesis, apoptosis, and immunomodulation mechanisms. Also, recommendations were made to utilize the polysaccharides against cancer.

Activities of the soluble and non-digestible longan (Dimocarpus longan Lour.) polysaccharides against HCT-116 cells as affected by a chemical selenylation

The soluble and non-digestible longan (Dimocarpus longan Lour.) polysaccharides (LP) with Se content less than 0.01 g/kg were extracted and selenylated chemically with the HNO₃–Na₂SeO₃ system, to prepare two selenylated products namely SeLP1 and SeLP2 with enhanced Se contents of 1.46 and 4.79 g/kg, respectively. LP, SeLP1, and SeLP2 were then measured and compared for their saccharide features and bioactivity in human colon carcinoma HCT-116 cells. Compared with LP, both SeLP1 and SeLP2 contained more neutral saccharides, but showed reduced uronic acid content and undetectable sulfate. Moreover, SeLP1 and especially SeLP2 in the cells showed higher activities than LP, reflected by their enhanced capacity to inhibit cell growth, alter cell morphology, and suppress cell colony formation. Compared with LP, SeLP1 and especially SeLP2 were also more capable of promoting intracellular reactive oxygen species and Ca²⁺ levels, causing mitochondrial membrane potential loss, or inducing cell apoptosis via up- and down-regulating the eight apoptosis-related genes and proteins. Overall, the performed chemical selenylation of LP resulted in obvious changes in these saccharide features and simultaneously enhanced the anti-cancer activity of the selenylated products against the cells clearly, while a higher selenylation extent of the selenylated products consistently caused higher activity towards the cells. The results of this study thus highlighted that this chemical selenylation is applicable when aiming to enhance the bioactivities of natural polysaccharides.

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Chemical selenylation of longan polysaccharides causes Se conjugation covalently.

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The selenylated polysaccharides have changes in saccharide features and sulfate.

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The selenylated polysaccharides have higher activities to HCT-116 cells.

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Higher polysaccharide selenylation consistently leads to activity increase in cells.

Advance research in biomedical applications on marine sulfated polysaccharide

Marine ecosystem associated organisms are an affluent source of bioactive compounds. Polysaccharides with unique structural and practical entities have gained special studies interest inside the current biomedical zone. Polysaccharides are the main components of marine algae, plants, animals, insects, and microorganisms. In recent times research on seaweed is more persistent for extraction of natural bioactive "Sulfated polysaccharides" (SPs). The considerable amount of SP exists in the algae in the form of fucans, fucoidans, carrageenans, ulvan, etc. Major function of SPs is to act as a defensive lattice towards the infective organism. All SPs possess the high potential and possess a broad range of therapeutic applications as antitumor, immunomodulatory, vaccine adjuvant, anti-inflammatory, anticoagulant, antiviral, antiprotozoal, antimicrobial, antilipemic, therapy of regenerative medicine, also in drug delivery and tissue engineering application. This review aims to discuss the biomedicine applications of sulfated polysaccharides from marine seaweeds.

Preparation and characterization of Zein-sulfated Cardamine hupingshanensis polysaccharide composite films

Cardamine hupingshanensis polysaccharide (CHP) was modified by the sulfur trioxide-pyridine method to obtain the sulfated C. hupingshanensis polysaccharide (SCHP) with a substitution degree of 0.72. The spectral results revealed that the sulfate group was successfully introduced to CHP. In the in vitro antioxidant assay, SCHP showed the highest scavenging rate of hydroxyl radicals, ABTS, and DPPH. Different concentrations of SCHP were chosen to form a compound with Zein to prepare novel bioactive films successfully. The functional and characterization studies of the films were also conducted. The scavenging ability of the films for hydroxyl radicals, ABTS, and DPPH was improved by adding different concentrations of SCHP. Although the films showed a decrease in transparency with the addition of 4 mg/ml SCHP, there was an improvement in tensile strength compared to films without the addition of SCHP. These findings indicate that Zein-SCHP films can be used as a functional food packaging material with antioxidant properties.

Preparation, structure and activity of polysaccharide phosphate esters

Polysaccharides have anti-virus, anti-cancer, anti-oxidation, immune regulation, hypoglycemia and other biological activities. Because of their safety, fewer side effects and other advantages, polysaccharides are considered as ideal raw materials in food and drugs. The biological activity of polysaccharides can be improved by structural modification (such as sulfation, carboxymethylation, phosphorylation, etc.), and even new biological activity can be generated. In this review, the recent advances in the phosphorylation of polysaccharides were reviewed from the perspectives of modification methods, structures, biological activities and structure-activity relationships.

Anti-cancer Substances and Safety of Lactic Acid Bacteria in Clinical Treatment

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are a kind of Gram-positive bacteria which can colonize in the biological gastrointestinal tract and play a variety of probiotic roles. LAB have a wide range of applications in industry, animal husbandry, planting, food safety, and medical science fields. Previous studies on LAB have typically concentrated on their effects on improving the digestion and absorption of the gastrointestinal tract, regulating the balance of the microflora, and inhibiting the production and accumulation of toxic substances. The resistance of LAB to cancer is a topic of growing interest and relevance. This paper provided a summary of bio-active substances of LAB when they act against cancer, as well as the safety of LAB in clinical cancer treatment. Moreover, this paper further discussed several possible directions for future research and the potential application of LAB as anti-cancer therapy.

Immunoregulatory function of Dictyophora echinovolvata spore polysaccharides in immunocompromised mice induced by cyclophosphamide

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the Dictyophora echinovolvata spore polysaccharides (DESP) affect the immunity in immunocompromised mice induced by cyclophosphamide (CTX). The healthy female Kunming mice were randomly divided into six groups, including a normal control (NC) group, a positive control group, a model control (MC) group, and three groups treated with low-, intermediate-, and high-dose polysaccharide, respectively. A series of immunoregulatory properties were determined, including humoral and cellular immunity, immune function, and immune factors of mononuclear macrophages. Compared with NC and MC groups, treatment with DESP significantly increased the spleen index and decreased the thymus index; increased the serum concentrations of immunoglobulin (Ig)A, IgG, IgM, hemolysin, IL-1β, and IL-2; delayed the allergic reaction; and improved the splenic lymphocyte transformation ability; and enhanced the phagocytosis of macrophages and the ability to secrete IL-6, TNF-α, caspase-1, and NO with DESP supplementation. These results indicated that DESP might have a good regulatory effect on CTX-induced immunodeficiency in mice, adjust the body’s immune imbalance, and improve the symptoms of low immunity.

Synthesis and antioxidant activity of the inulin derivative bearing 1,2,3-triazole and diphenyl phosphate

In this paper, the inulin derivative (3) bearing 1,2,3-triazole and diphenyl phosphate was successfully synthesized by CuAAC Click chemistry. Detailed structural characterization was determined using FTIR spectroscopy, ¹H NMR spectroscopy, ¹³C NMR spectroscopy, and elemental analysis. The antioxidant activities against hydroxyl radicals, superoxide radicals, and DPPH radicals were estimated in vitro respectively. The results showed that the antioxidant activity of the inulin derivative (3) was significantly enhanced compared with inulin. The inulin derivative (3) exhibited stronger radical scavenging abilities, especially against hydroxyl radicals and superoxide radicals. The scavenging values of the inulin derivative (3) were 98.2% and 95.4% at 1.6 mg/mL against hydroxyl radicals and superoxide radicals respectively. Besides, the scavenging value of the inulin derivative (3) increased by about 40% to scavenge DPPH radicals at 1.6 mg/mL than inulin. The results showed that the inulin derivative (3) bearing 1,2,3-triazole and diphenyl phosphate exhibited tremendously enhanced antioxidant activity compared with inulin. The synthetic strategy might provide an effective way to prepare novel inulin antioxidant biomaterials.

Phosphorylation of polysaccharides: A review on the synthesis and bioactivities

Polysaccharides are macromolecules obtained from a wide range of sources and are known to have diverse biological activities. The biological activities of polysaccharides depend on their structure and physicochemical properties, including water solubility, monosaccharide composition, degree of branching, molecular structure, and molecular weight. Phosphorylation is a commonly used chemical modification method that improves the physicochemical properties of native polysaccharides, thus enhancing their biological activity, or even imparting novel biological activity. Therefore, phosphorylated polysaccharides have attracted increasing attention owing to their antioxidant, antitumor, antiviral, immunomodulatory, and hepatoprotective effects. In this review, we have discussed recent advances in the phosphorylation of polysaccharides, and the methods used for phosphorylation, structural characterization, and determination of biological activities, to provide a theoretical basis for the use of polysaccharides. The structure-activity relationship of phosphorylated polysaccharides and their use in the food and pharmaceutical industries needs to be further studied.

Hydrogen Peroxide Effects on Natural-Sourced Polysacchrides: Free Radical Formation/Production, Degradation Process, and Reaction Mechanism-A Critical Synopsis

Numerous reactive oxygen species (ROS) entities exist, and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is very key among them as it is well known to possess a stable but poor reactivity capable of generating free radicals. Considered among reactive atoms, molecules, and compounds with electron-rich sites, free radicals emerging from metabolic reactions during cellular respirations can induce oxidative stress and cause cellular structure damage, resulting in diverse life-threatening diseases when produced in excess. Therefore, an antioxidant is needed to curb the overproduction of free radicals especially in biological systems (in vivo and in vitro). Despite the inherent properties limiting its bioactivities, polysaccharides from natural sources increasingly gain research attention given their position as a functional ingredient. Improving the functionality and bioactivity of polysaccharides have been established through degradation of their molecular integrity. In this critical synopsis; we articulate the effects of H2O2 on the degradation of polysaccharides from natural sources. Specifically, the synopsis focused on free radical formation/production, polysaccharide degradation processes with H2O2, the effects of polysaccharide degradation on the structural characteristics; physicochemical properties; and bioactivities; in addition to the antioxidant capability. The degradation mechanisms involving polysaccharide's antioxidative property; with some examples and their respective sources are briefly summarised.

Antioxidation, anti-inflammation and anti-fibrosis effect of phosphorylated polysaccharides from Pleurotus djamor mycelia on adenine-induced chronic renal failure mice

The mycelia polysaccharides (MPS) from Pleurotus djamor were prepared and purified by anion exchange column chromatography, and the phosphate content of phosphorylated MPS (PMPS) was 15.22 ± 0.37%. FT-IR spectra, HPLC and ¹H and ¹³C-NMR results showed the PMPS contained α-pyranose structure and the peak area percentage composition of galacturonic acid and glucose were 13.01% and 85.82%, respectively. Animal experiment investigated the antioxidant, anti-inflammation, anti-fibrosis effects of PMPS on kidney in adenine-induced chronic renal failure (CRF) mice. All results including serum biochemical indices, histopathological observation, qRT-PCR, western blotting, immunohistochemical staining manifested the kidney injury could be remitted by PMPS interventions. This experiment suggested that PMPS could remit CRF and other kidney injury related diseases as one kind of dietary supplements and functional foods without toxic side effects.

Pharmacological and metagenomics evidence of polysaccharide from Polygonum multiflorum in the alleviation of insulin resistance

Total polysaccharide from Polygonum multiflorum (PS) and 2,3,5,4'-tetrahydroxy-stilbene-2-O-β-D-glucoside (TSG) could relieve high-fat and high-sugar diet (HF-HSD) induced rats' insulin resistance (IR) by gut microbiota and host regulation. We found that PS and TSG significantly reversed the increase of fasting blood glucose and the decrease of glucose tolerance in HF-HSD induced IR rats. PS and TSG effectively reversed the imbalance of Firmicutes/Bacteroides caused by an HF-HSD, and significantly reduced the relative abundance of Proteobacteria. It also affected the functional genes of gut microbiota and regulated short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and its downstream signal protein molecules. Together, these results indicated that PS and TSG alleviated HF-HSD induced IR by promoting gut microbiota and host function. Thus, PS and TSG may be promising lead substances for developing IR inhibitors that could regulate gut microbiota and its molecular messenger SCFAs to remedy IR.

The Chemistry, Pharmacology and Therapeutic Potential of the Edible Mushroom Dictyophora indusiata (Vent ex. Pers.) Fischer (Synn. Phallus indusiatus)

Dictyophora indusiata (Vent. Ex. Pers.) Fischer or Phallus indusiatus is an edible member of the higher mushroom phylum of Basidiomycetes. Known for its morphological elegance that gave it the names bridal veil fungus, veiled lady or queen of the mushrooms, it has numerous medicinal values that are beginning to be acknowledged through pharmacological efficacy studies. In an attempt to promote research on this valuable natural resource, the present communication aims to provide a comprehensive review of the chemistry, pharmacology and potential therapeutic applications of extracts and compounds isolated from D. indusiata. Of the bioactive compounds, the chemistry of the polysaccharides as major bioactive components primarily the β-(1 → 3)-D-glucan with side branches of β-(1 → 6)-glucosyl units are discussed, while small molecular weight compounds include terpenoids and alkaloids. Biochemical and cellular mechanisms of action from general antioxidant and anti-inflammatory to more specific signaling mechanisms are outlined along with potential applications in cancer and immunotherapy, neurodegenerative and chronic inflammatory diseases, etc. Further research areas and limitations of the current scientific data are also highlighted.

Effect of Carboxymethylation and Phosphorylation on the Properties of Polysaccharides from Sepia esculenta Ink: Antioxidation and Anticoagulation in Vitro

To investigate the effect of carboxymethylation and phosphorylation modification on Sepia esculenta ink polysaccharide (SIP) properties, this study prepared carboxymethyl SIP (CSIP) with the chloracetic acid method, and phosphorylated SIP (PSIP) with the sodium trimetaphosphate (STMP)/sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP) method, on the basis of an orthogonal experiment. The in vitro antioxidant and anticoagulant activities of the derivatives were determined by assessing the scavenging capacity of the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and hydroxyl radicals, which activated the partial thromboplastin time (APTT), prothrombin time (PT), and thrombin time (TT). The results showed that SIP was modified successfully to be CSIP and PSIP, and degrees of substitution (DSs) of the two products were 0.9913 and 0.0828, respectively. Phosphorylation efficiently improved the antioxidant property of SIP, and the IC₅₀ values of PSIP on DPPH and hydroxyl radicals decreased by 63.25% and 13.77%, respectively. But carboxymethylation reduced antioxidant activity of the native polysaccharide, IC₅₀ values of CSIP on the DPPH and hydroxyl radicals increased by 16.74% and 6.89%, respectively. SIP significantly prolonged the APTT, PT, and TT in a dose-dependent fashion, suggesting that SIP played an anticoagulant action through intrinsic, extrinsic, and common coagulation pathways. CSIP and PSIP both possessed a stronger anticoagulant capacity than SIP via the same pathways; moreover, CSIP was observed to be more effective in prolonging APTT and PT than PSIP.

Chemical modifications of polysaccharides and their anti-tumor activities

With the rising trend of incidence of cancers, effective therapies are urgently needed to control human malignancies. However, the chemotherapy drugs currently on the market cause serious side effects. Polysaccharides belong to a class of biomacromolecules, which have drawn considerable research interest over the years as it possess anti-cancer activities or can increase the efficacy of conventional chemotherapy drugs with fewer side effects. The antitumor activity of many polysaccharides was significantly increased after modification. Based on these encouraging observations, a great deal of effort has been focused on discovering anti-cancer polysaccharides and modified derivatives for the development of effective therapeutics for various human cancers. This review highlights recent advances on the major chemical modification methods of polysaccharides, and discusses the effect of molecular modification on the physicochemical properties and anti-tumor activities of polysaccharides. Meanwhile, the underlying anti-tumor mechanisms of polysaccharide and its modified derivatives were also discussed.

The protective effect of icariin and phosphorylated icariin against LPS-induced intestinal goblet cell dysfunction

In this study, we used LS174T cells as a model to investigate the protective effects of icariin and phosphorylated icariin on LPS-induced goblet cell dysfunction. Our results indicated that icariin and phosphorylated icariin increased the cell viability and decreased lactate dehydrogenase activity in LPS-treated LS174T cells. Icariin and phosphorylated icariin attenuated LPS-induced changes in mucin 2 synthesis and secretion. Besides, Icariin and phosphorylated icariin reduced the levels of ROS, MDA, and H₂O₂ and increased the activity of SOD, GPx, CAT, and T-AOC in LPS-treated LS174T cells. Moreover, the levels of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α were reduced in the Icariin and phosphorylated icariin group. Furthermore, Icariin and phosphorylated icariin decreased gene abundance or enzyme activity of Bip, XBP1, GRP78, CHOP, caspase-3, and caspase-4 in LPS-treated LS174T cells. Our data suggest that Icariin and phosphorylated icariin effectively attenuate LPS-induced intestinal goblet cell function damage through regulating oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis, and mucin expression.

The protective effect of icariin and phosphorylated icariin against LPS-induced intestinal epithelial cells injury

Icariin (ICA) and phosphorylated icariin (pICA) have excellent antiviral and antioxidant effects. However, whether ICA and pICA cause anti-LPS-induced intestinal damage remains unclear. In this study, we used Caco-2 cells as a model to investigate the protective effects of ICA and pICA on human colonic epithelial cells and explore their potential mechanisms. Our results indicated that ICA and pICA increased cell viability and decreased lactate dehydrogenase activity in Caco-2 cells. ICA and pICA also attenuated LPS-induced changes in intestinal epithelial cell permeability and reduced the levels of oxidative stress indicators, such as reactive oxygen species, malondialdehyde, and hydrogen peroxide, in Caco-2 cells. Antioxidant indicators, such as superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, catalase and total antioxidant capacity, were increased, while the levels of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α were reduced in the ICA and pICA groups. Furthermore, ICA and pICA decreased the gene abundance and enzyme activities of caspase-3, -8, -9 and -10 in Caco-2 cells. Our data suggest that ICA and pICA effectively attenuated LPS-induced changes in the oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis and intestinal permeability of intestinal epithelial cells. These findings provide new insight for treating LPS-induced intestinal injury.