The Chemical Profiling and Anticancer Potential of Functional Polysaccharides from Flos Sophorae Immaturus

Exploring the structure-activity relationship of Safflower polysaccharides: From the structural characteristics to biological function and therapeutic applications

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Safflower, the florets of Carthamus tinctorius L., is a widely used traditional Chinese medicine for promoting circulation and improving dysmenorrhea. Polysaccharides is one of the principal water-soluble components in Safflower, which recently endowed with a variety of biological activities, thus making them have important research significance in the field of ethnopharmacology.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This review summarized the latest research progress on the preparation technology, structural characteristics, and pharmacological effects of Safflower polysaccharides. Moreover, by comparing the structural characteristic of Safflower polysaccharides, the potential structure-activity relationship of Safflower polysaccharides was also discussed.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This article used keywords including Safflower polysaccharide, Carthamus tinctorius L polysaccharide, Safflower polysaccharide extraction and separation, Safflower polysaccharide structure, and Safflower polysaccharide anti-tumor effects to search for all relevant literature in PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, CNKI and other databases from the establishment of the database to July 2024.

RESULTS

Summarizing current research findings, seventeen homogeneous Safflower polysaccharides have been obtained. Their structural characteristics, including molecular weights, monosaccharide composition, sugar residue types, glycosidic bond configuration, and the linkage sequence, were initially researched. In terms of pharmacological activity, Safflower polysaccharides exhibit a wide range of biological activities, including immune regulation, anti-tumor effects, and antioxidant properties. Furthermore, the structural characteristics of Safflower polysaccharides significantly influence its biological activities, encompassing factors such as molecular weight, monosaccharide composition, and degree of branching.

CONCLUSION

Safflower polysaccharides have seen significant advancements in recent years regarding preparation methods, structural characterization, and pharmacological studies. These achievements would provide a theoretical basis for the application of Safflower polysaccharide in the field of ethnopharmacology. While Safflower polysaccharides exhibit diverse biological activities and significant potential for development and utilization, further in-depth research is needed to enhance our understanding of their mechanisms of action and optimize their clinical applications.

The inhibitory activity of Flos Sophorae Immaturus extract and its major flavonoid components on pancreatic lipase

Inhibition of pancreatic lipase (PL) is a strategy to prevent obesity. The inhibitory effects of Flos Sophorae Immaturus (FSI) extract and its main flavonoid components, rutin and quercetin, on PL were investigated. The contents of rutin and quercetin in FSI extract were 44.10 ± 1.33 % and 6.07 ± 1.62 %, respectively. The IC50 values of FSI extract, rutin and quercetin on PL were 322, 258 and 71 μg/mL, respectively. Rutin and quercetin inhibited PL in a reversible and noncompetitive manner. The combination of rutin and quercetin exhibited synergistic inhibitory effects at low concentration. The binding of rutin/quercetin with PL caused the fluorescence quenching of protein. Fluorescence titration showed the binding affinity of quercetin with PL protein was stronger than that of rutin. Circular dichroism analysis showed the binding changed the secondary structure of PL with an increase in random coil and a decrease in α-Helix and β-Sheet. Molecular docking revealed that rutin and quercetin could interact with the amino acid residues around the catalytic site through multiple secondary interactions. In vivo studies showed that FSI extract can reduce fat absorption and promote fecal fat excretion through inhibition of PL activity, and the effects were mainly due to rutin and quercetin.

Optimization of Ultrasonic-Assisted Extraction, Characterization and Antioxidant and Immunoregulatory Activities of Arthrospira platensis Polysaccharides

This study aimed to enhance the ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE) yield of seawater Arthrospira platensis polysaccharides (APPs) and investigate its structural characteristics and bioactivities. The optimization of UAE achieved a maximum crude polysaccharides yield of 14.78%. The optimal extraction conditions were a liquid-solid ratio of 30.00 mL/g, extraction temperature of 81 °C, ultrasonic power at 92 W and extraction time at 30 min. After purification through cellulose DEAE-52 and Sephadex G-100 columns, two polysaccharide elutions (APP-1 and APP-2) were obtained. APP-2 had stronger antioxidant and immunoregulatory activities than APP-1, thus the characterization of APP-2 was conducted. APP-2 was an acidic polysaccharide consisting of rhamnose, glucose, mannose and glucuronic acid at a ratio of 1.00:24.21:7.63:1.53. It possessed a molecular weight of 72.48 kDa. Additionally, APP-2 had linear and irregular spherical particles and amorphous structures, which contained pyranoid polysaccharides with alpha/beta glycosidic bonds. These findings offered the foundation for APP-2 as an antioxidant and immunomodulator applied in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries.

Recent advances in natural polysaccharides against hepatocellular carcinoma: A review

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignant tumor of the digestive system that poses a serious threat to human life and health. Chemotherapeutic drugs commonly used in the clinic have limited efficacy and heavy adverse effects. Therefore, it is imperative to find effective and safe alternatives, and natural polysaccharides (NPs) fit the bill. This paper summarizes in detail the anti-HCC activity of NPs in vitro, animal and clinical trials. Furthermore, the addition of NPs can reduce the deleterious effects of chemotherapeutic drugs such as immunotoxicity, bone marrow suppression, oxidative stress, etc. The potential mechanisms are related to induction of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest, block of angiogenesis, invasion and metastasis, stimulation of immune activity and targeting of MircoRNA. And on this basis, we further elucidate that the anti-HCC activity may be related to the monosaccharide composition, molecular weight (Mw), conformational features and structural modifications of NPs. In addition, due to its good physicochemical properties, it is widely used as a drug carrier in the delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs and small molecule components. This review provides a favorable theoretical basis for the application of the anti-HCC activity of NPs.

Combined analysis of inorganic elements and flavonoid metabolites reveals the relationship between flower quality and maturity of Sophora japonica L

Flos Sophorae (FS), or the dried flower buds of Sophora japonica L., is widely used as a food and medicinal material in China. The quality of S. japonica flowers varies with the developmental stages (S1-S5) of the plant. However, the relationship between FS quality and maturity remains unclear. Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization-triple quadrupole-linear ion trap mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-Q TRAP-MS/MS) were used to analyze inorganic elements and flavonoid metabolites, respectively. A combined analysis of the inorganic elements and flavonoid metabolites in FS was conducted to determine the patterns of FS quality formation. Sixteen inorganic elements and 173 flavonoid metabolites that accumulated at different developmental stages were identified. Notably, 54 flavonoid metabolites associated with the amelioration of major human diseases were identified, and Ca, P, K, Fe, and Cu were postulated to influence flavonoid metabolism and synthesis. This study offers a novel perspective and foundation for the further exploration of the rules governing the quality of plant materials.

Cytotoxicity Analysis and In Silico Studies of Three Plant Extracts with Potential Application in Treatment of Endothelial Dysfunction

Endothelial dysfunction is the basis of the physiopathological mechanisms of vascular diseases. In addition to the therapeutic activity of plant extracts, cytotoxicity is significant. This research evaluates the cytotoxicity of three vegetal extracts (Calendulae flos extract-CE, Ginkgo bilobae folium extract-GE, and Sophorae flos extract-SE). In vitro evaluation was performed using an endothelial cell line model (Human Pulmonary Artery Endothelial Cells-HPAEC) when a dose-dependent cytotoxic activity was observed after 72 h. The IC50 values were calculated for all extracts: Calendulae flos extract (IC50 = 91.36 μg/mL), Sophorae flos extract (IC50 = 68.61 μg/mL), and Ginkgo bilobae folium extract (IC50 = 13.08 μg/mL). Therefore, at the level of HPAEC cells, the cytotoxicity of the extracts follows the order GE > SE > CE. The apoptotic mechanism implied in cell death was predicted for several phytocompounds using the PASS algorithm and molecular docking simulations, highlighting potential interactions with caspases-3 and -8. In vivo analysis was performed through brine shrimp lethality assay (BSLA) when lethal, behavioral, and cytological effects were evaluated on Artemia salina larvae. The viability examined after 24 h (assessment of lethal effects) follows the same sequence: CE > SE > GE. In addition, the predicted cell permeability was observed mainly for GE constituents through in silico studies. However, the extracts can be considered nontoxic according to Clarckson's criteria because no BSL% was registered at 1200 µg/mL. The obtained data reveal that all three extracts are safe for human use and suitable for incorporation in further pharmaceutical formulations.

Study on anthocyanins from Lycium ruthenicum Murr via ultrasonic microwave synergistic extraction and its antioxidant properties

The objectives of this study are to optimize the ultrasonic microwave synergistic extraction (UMSE) of anthocyanins from Lycium ruthenicum Murr (ALRM) by response surface methodology and also to investigate its antioxidant activity in vitro. Based on the single-factor experiments, we optimized the ALRM extraction process by response surface methodology assuming anthocyanin extraction rate as the response point and microwave power, ultrasonic power, extraction time, and liquid-to-material ratio as the investigating parameters as well as performed correlation analysis between DPPH·, ·OH, ABTS·, O2-· radical scavenging potential, and ferric-reducing antioxidant power. The results showed that the influence on anthocyanin yield was in the order of liquid to material ratio > microwave power > ultrasonic power > extraction time; the elicited extraction conditions were: ultrasonic power 216.253 W, microwave power 89.311 W, time 26.141 min, liquid to material ratio 17.294 mL/g, the forecast content was 10.157 mg/g, while the actual value was consistent with the preview value. Meanwhile, ALRM obtainable by UMSE was identified as yielding favorable antioxidant properties firstly, when the concentration of purified ALRM (ALRM-1) was increased, the antioxidant capacity was strengthened. Theoretically, we provide a basis for the extraction procedure of ALRM and its antioxidant activity, which serves as a promising antioxidant and free radical scavenger.