Extraction, characterization and intestinal anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative activities of polysaccharide from stems and leaves of Chuanminshen violaceum M. L. Sheh & R. H. Shan.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Chuanminshen violaceum M. L. Sheh & R. H. Shan (CV) is used as a medicine with roots, which have the effects of benefiting the lungs, harmonizing the stomach, resolving phlegm and detoxifying. Polysaccharide is one of its main active components and has various pharmacological activities, but the structural characterization and pharmacological activities of polysaccharide from the stems and leaves parts of CV are still unclear. AIM OF THE STUDY: The aim of this study was to investigate the optimal extraction conditions for ultrasound-assisted extraction of polysaccharide from CV stems and leaves, and to carry out preliminary structural analyses, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of the obtained polysaccharide and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The ultrasonic-assisted extraction of CV stems and leaves polysaccharides was carried out, and the response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimize the extraction process to obtain CV polysaccharides (CVP) under the optimal conditions. Subsequently, we isolated and purified CVP to obtain the homogeneous polysaccharide CVP-AP-I, and evaluated the composition, molecular weight, and structural features of CVP-AP-I using a variety of technical methods. Finally, we tested the pharmacological activity of CVP-AP-Ⅰ in an LPS-induced model of oxidative stress and inflammation in intestinal porcine epithelial cells (IPEC-J2) and explored its possible mechanism of action. RESULTS: The crude polysaccharide was obtained under optimal extraction conditions and subsequently isolated and purified to obtain CVP-AP-Ⅰ (35.34 kDa), and the structural characterization indicated that CVP-AP-Ⅰ was mainly composed of galactose, galactose, rhamnose and glucose, which was a typical pectic polysaccharide. In addition, CVP-AP-Ⅰ attenuates LPS-induced inflammation and oxidative stress by inhibiting the expression of pro-inflammatory factor genes and proteins and up-regulating the expression of antioxidant enzyme-related genes and proteins in IPEC-J2, by a mechanism related to the activation of the Nrf2/Keap1 signaling pathway. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that the polysaccharide isolated from CV stems and leaves was a pectic polysaccharide with similar pharmacological activities as CV roots, exhibiting strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities, suggesting that CV stems and leaves could possess the same traditional efficacy as CV roots, which is expected to be used in the treatment of intestinal diseases.

Ultrasonic-assisted extraction of polysaccharide from Paeoniae Radix alba: Extraction optimization, structural characterization and antioxidant mechanism in vitro.

Paeoniae Radix alba is used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders, immunomodulatory, cancer, and other diseases. In the current study, the yield of Paeoniae Radix alba polysaccharide (PRP) was significantly increased with optimal ultrasound-assisted extraction compared to hot water extraction. Further, an acidic polysaccharide (PRP-AP) was isolated from PRP after chromatographic separation and was characterized as a typical pectic polysaccharide with side chains of arabinogalactans types I and II. Moreover, it showed antioxidant effects on LPS-induced damage on IPEC-J2 cells determined by qRT-PCR and ELISA, including decreasing the pro-inflammatory factors' expressions and increasing the antioxidant enzymes activities, which was shown to be related to the Nrf2/Keap1 pathway modulated by PRP-AP. The metabolites change (such as itaconate, cholesterol sulfate, etc.) detected by untargeted metabolomic analysis in cells was also shown to be modulated by PRP-AP, and these metabolites were further utilized and protected cells damaged by LPS. These results revealed the cellular active mechanism of the macromolecular PRP-AP on protecting cells, and supported the hypothesis that PRP-AP has strong benefits as an alternative dietary supplement for the prevention of intestinal oxidative stress by modulating cellular metabolism.

Bioactive polysaccharides in different plant parts of Aconitum carmichaelii.

BACKGROUND: Aconitum carmichaelii is an industrially cultivated medicinal plant in China and its lateral and mother roots are used in traditional Chinese medicine due to the presence of alkaloids. However, the rootlets and aerial parts are discarded after collection of the roots, and the non-toxic polysaccharides in this plant have attracted less attention than the alkaloids and poisonous features. In this study, five neutral and 14 acidic polysaccharide fractions were isolated systematically from different plant parts of A. carmichaelii, and their structural features and bioactivity were studied and compared. RESULTS: The neutral fraction isolated from the rootlets differed from those isolated from the lateral and mother roots. It consisted of less starch and more possible mannans, galactans, and/or xyloglucans, being similar to those of the aerial parts. Pectic polysaccharides containing homogalacturonan and branched type-I rhamnogalacturonan (RG-I) were present in all plant parts of A. carmichaelii. However, more arabinogalactan (AG)-II side chains in the RG-I backbone were present in the aerial parts of the plants, while more amounts of arabinans were found in the roots. Various immunomodulatory effects were observed, determined by complement fixation activity and anti-inflammatory effects on the intestinal epithelial cells of all polysaccharide fractions. CONCLUSION: This study highlighted the diversity of polysaccharides present in A. carmichaelii, especially in the unutilized plant parts, and showed their potential medicinal value. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Polysaccharide from aerial part of Chuanminshen violaceum alleviates oxidative stress and inflammatory response in aging mice through modulating intestinal microbiota.

Aging is a biological process of progressive deterioration of physiological functions, which poses a serious threat to individual health and a heavy burden on public health systems. As population aging continues, research into anti-aging drugs that prolong life and improve health is of particular importance. In this study, the polysaccharide from stems and leaves of Chuanminshen violaceum was obtained with water extraction and alcohol precipitation, and then separated and purified with DEAE anion exchange chromatography and gel filtration to obtain CVP-AP-I. We gavaged natural aging mice with CVP-AP-I and performed serum biochemical analysis, histological staining, quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and ELISA kit assays to analyze inflammation and oxidative stress-related gene and protein expression in tissues, and 16SrRNA to analyze intestinal flora. We found that CVP-AP-I significantly improved oxidative stress and inflammatory responses of the intestine and liver, restored the intestinal immune barrier, and balanced the dysbiosis of intestinal flora. In addition, we revealed the potential mechanism behind CVP-AP-I to improve intestinal and liver function by regulating intestinal flora balance and repairing the intestinal immune barrier to regulate the intestinal-liver axis. Our results indicated that C. violaceum polysaccharides possessed favorable antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and potentially anti-aging effects in vivo.

Angelica sinensis aboveground part polysaccharide and its metabolite 5-MT ameliorate colitis via modulating gut microbiota and TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB pathway.

The roots of Angelica sinensis have been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for thousands of years. However, tons of aerial parts of this herb (aboveground part) are commonly discarded during the process of root preparations. A polysaccharide (ASP-Ag-AP) in the aboveground parts of A. sinensis was isolated and preliminarily characterized as typical plant pectin. ASP-Ag-AP exhibited noticeable protective effects against dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis, including reduction of colonic inflammation, modulation of barrier function, and alteration of gut microbiota and serum metabolite profile. Anti-inflammatory effects of ASP-Ag-AP were observed by inhibiting TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway in vitro and in vivo. Additionally, the level of serum metabolite 5-methyl-dl-tryptophan (5-MT) was reduced by DSS and restored by ASP-Ag-AP, which also negatively correlated with Bacteroides, Alistipes, Staphylococcus and pro-inflammatory factors. The protection from inflammatory stress on intestinal porcine enterocytes cells (IPEC-J2) of 5-MT was observed through the inhibition of TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB pathway. Besides, 5-MT also exhibited robust anti-inflammatory effect in colitis mice with improving colitis symptoms, barrier function and gut microbiota, which was the same as presented by ASP-Ag-AP. Therefore, ASP-Ag-AP could be a promising agent for colitis prevention and 5-MT could be the signal metabolite of ASP-Ag-AP on defending against intestinal inflammatory stress.

Salvia miltiorrhiza polysaccharide and its related metabolite 5-methoxyindole-3-carboxaldehyde ameliorate experimental colitis by regulating Nrf2/Keap1 signaling pathway.

The roots of Salvia miltiorrhiza have been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for thousands of years. However, tons of aerial parts of this plant are usually discarded in the production of roots preparation. To make better use of these plant resources, the polysaccharide isolated from the aerial part of S. miltiorrhiza was investigated for its potential protection against intestinal diseases. A pectic polysaccharide (SMAP-1) was isolated and characterized being composed of homogalacturonan as the main chain and rhamnogalacturonan type I as ramified region, with side chains including arabinans and possible arabinogalactan type I and II. SMAP-1 exhibited robust protective effects against dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis and restored colitis symptoms, colonic inflammation, and barrier functions. Anti-oxidative effects were also observed by up-regulating Nrf2/Keap1 signaling pathway. Additionally, the level of serum 5-methoxyindole-3-carboxaldehyde (5-MC) was restored by SMAP-1 identified in metabolomic analysis, being correlated with the aforementioned effects. Protection against oxidative stress on intestinal porcine enterocyte cells (IPEC-J2) by 5-MC was observed through the activation of Nrf2/Keap1 system, as also shown by SMAP-1. In conclusion, SMAP-1 could be a promising candidate for colitis prevention, and 5-MC could be the signal metabolite of SMAP-1 in protecting against oxidative stress in the intestine.

Benefits of neutral polysaccharide from rhizomes of Polygonatum sibiricum to intestinal function of aged mice.

One purified neutral polysaccharide fraction was obtained from the rhizome of Polygonatum sibiricum by DEAE ion exchange and gel chromatography. Structure elucidation was performed by methanolysis, methylation, FT-IR, and NMR. The results indicated that PSP-NP was composed of 1,4-ß-D-Gal,1, 4, 6-ß-D-Gal, T-α-D-Man,1, 4-α-D-Glc, and T-α-D-Glc with a molecular weight of 43.0 kDa. We supplied this polysaccharide to aged mice and found it is of benefits to intestinal functions, as indicated by better tissue integrity and motility, improved oxidative stress and inflammation, reduced intestinal permeability and serum LPS level, as well as balanced gut microbial composition and short-chain fatty acids production. These results display a novel Polygonatum sibiricum polysaccharide to improve the intestinal function of aged mice, which provides pieces of evidence for its further development and utilization.

Pectic polysaccharides from Aconitum carmichaelii leaves protects against DSS-induced ulcerative colitis in mice through modulations of metabolism and microbiota composition.

The industrial processing of Aconitum carmichaelii roots for use in Traditional Chinese Medicine generates a high amount of waste material, especially leaves. An acidic polysaccharide fraction isolated from these unutilized leaves, AL-I, was in our previous work shown to contain pectic polysaccharides. This study aimed to investigate the protective effect of AL-I on ulcerative colitis for the possible application of A. carmichaelii leaves in the treatment of intestinal inflammatory diseases. AL-I was found to alleviate symptoms and colonic pathological injury in colitis mice, and ameliorate the levels of inflammatory indices in serum and colon. The production of short- and branched-chain fatty acids was also restored by AL-I. The observed protective effect could be due to the inhibition of NOD1 and TLR4 activation, the promotion of gene transcription of tight-junction proteins, and the modulation of gut microbiota composition like Bacteroides, Dubosiella, Alistipes and Prevotella,. A regulation of serum metabolomic profiles being relevant to the bacterial change, such as D-mannose 6-phosphate, D-erythrose 4-phosphate and uric acid, was also observed.

Myricetin inhibits pseudorabies virus infection through direct inactivation and activating host antiviral defense.

Myricetin, a polyhydroxyflavone compound, is one of the main ingredients of various human foods and therefore also known as dietary flavonoids. Due to the continuous emergence of resistant strains of herpesviruses, novel control measures are required. In the present study, myricetin exhibited potent antiviral activity against pseudorabies virus (PRV), a model organism of herpesvirus. The suppression rate could reach up to 96.4% at a concentration of 500 µM in cells, and the 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) was 42.69 µM. Moreover, the inhibitory activity was not attenuated by the increased amount of infective dose, and a significant reduction of intracellular PRV virions was observed by indirect immunofluorescence. A mode of action study indicated that myricetin could directly inactivate the virus in vitro, leading to inhibition of viral adsorption, penetration and replication in cells. In addition to direct killing effect, myricetin could also activate host antiviral defense through regulation of apoptosis-related gene expressions (Bcl-2, Bcl-xl, Bax), NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways and cytokine gene expressions (IL-1α, IL-1ß, IL-6, c-Jun, STAT1, c-Fos, and c-Myc). In PRV-infected mouse model, myricetin could enhance the survival rate by 40% at 5 days post infection, and viral loads in kidney, liver, lung, spleen, and brain were significantly decreased. The pathological changes caused by PRV infection were improved by myricetin treatment. The gene expressions of inflammatory factors (MCP-1, G-CSF, IL-1α, IL-1ß, and IL-6) and apoptotic factors (Bcl-xl, Bcl-2, and Bax) were regulated by myricetin in PRV-infected mice. The present findings suggest that myricetin can effectively inhibit PRV infection and become a candidate for development of new anti-herpesvirus drugs.

Structural features and antioxidant activities of polysaccharides from different parts of Codonopsis pilosula var. modesta (Nannf.) L. T. Shen.

In this study, three acidic polysaccharides from different plant parts of Codonopsis pilosula var. Modesta (Nannf.) L. T. Shen were obtained by ion exchange chromatography and gel filtration chromatography, and the yields of these three polysaccharides were different. According to the preliminary experimental results, the antioxidant activities of the polysaccharides from rhizomes and fibrous roots (CLFP-1) were poor, and was thus not studied further. Due to this the structural features of polysaccharides from roots (CLRP-1) and aerial parts (CLSP-1) were the object for this study and were structurally characterized, and their antioxidant activities were evaluated. As revealed by the results, the molecular weight of CLRP-1and CLSP-1 were 15.9 kDa and 26.4 kDa, respectively. The monosaccharide composition of CLRP-1 was Ara, Rha, Fuc, Xyl, Man, Gal, GlcA, GalA in a ratio of 3.8: 8.4: 1.0: 0.8: 2.4: 7.4: 7.5: 2.0: 66.7, and Ara, Rha, Gal, GalA in a ratio of 5.8: 8.9: 8.0: 77.0 in for CLSP-1. The results of structural elucidation indicated that both CLRP-1 and CLSP-1 were pectic polysaccharides, mainly composed of 1, 4-linked galacturonic acid with long homogalacturonan regions. Arabinogalactan type I and arabinogalactan type II were presented as side chains. The antioxidant assay in IPEC-J2 cells showed that both CLRP-1 and CLSP-1 promoted cell viability and antioxidant activity, which significantly increase the level of total antioxidant capacity and the activity of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and decrease the content of malondialdehyde. Moreover, CLRP-1 and CLSP-1 also showed powerful antioxidant abilities in Caenorhabditis elegans and might regulate the nuclear localization of DAF-16 transcription factor, induced antioxidant enzymes activities, and further reduced reactive oxygen species and malondialdehyde contents to increase the antioxidant ability of Caenorhabditis elegans. Thus, these finding suggest that CLRP-1 and CLSP-1 could be used as potential antioxidants.

Isolation, characterisation and complement fixation activity of acidic polysaccharides from Argemone mexicana used as antimalarials in Mali.

CONTEXT: Global studies on Argemone mexicana L. (Papaveraceae) traditionally used against malaria in Mali are limited to its low-mass compounds activities, and little information on its bioactive polysaccharides is available. OBJECTIVE: This study determines the structure and the immunomodulatory activity of polysaccharides from aerial parts of A. mexicana. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Acidic polysaccharides from this plant material named HMAmA1 and HMAmA2 were isolated from water extracts. Their monosaccharide composition was determined by gas chromatography. Glycosidic linkages were determined using GC-MS. NMR was also applied. The polymers were tested for effects on the human complement system in vitro at different doses. RESULTS: The monosaccharide composition showed that the two polysaccharides contained in different amounts the following monomers: arabinose, rhamnose, galactose, and galacturonic acid. Overall structural analysis showed the presence of a low ratio of 1,2-linked rhamnose compared to 1,4-linked galacturonic acid with arabinogalactans substituted on position 4 of rhamnose. NMR data showed the presence of galacturonans alternated by rhamnogalacturonans bearing arabinose and galactose units. α-Linkages were found for l-arabinose, l-rhamnose and d-galacturonic acid, while ß-linkages were found for d-galactose. The two polysaccharides exhibited strong complement fixation activities, with HMAmA1 being the highest potent fraction. ICH50 value of HMAmA1 was 5 µg/mL, compared to the control BPII being 15.9 µg/mL. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Polysaccharides form A. mexicana presented a complement fixation effect. The complement system is an important part of the immune defense, and compounds acting on the cascade are of interest. Therefore, these polymers may be useful as immunodulatory agents.

Polysaccharides from Aconitum carmichaelii leaves: Structure, immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory activities.

Roots of Aconitum carmichaelii are used in Asian countries due to its content of bioactive alkaloids. In the production of root preparations, tons of leaves are usually discarded, leading to a huge waste of herbal material. The aim of this study is to investigate the polysaccharides in these unutilized leaves. A neutral polysaccharide (AL-N) appeared to be a mixture of heteromannans, and two purified acidic polysaccharides (AL-I-I and AL-I-II) were shown to be pectins containing a homogalacturonan backbone substituted with terminal ß-Xylp-units. AL-I-I consisted of a type-I rhamnogalacturonan core, with arabinan and type-II arabinogalactan domains while AL-I-II was less branched. AL-N and AL-I-I were able to modulate the complement system, while AL-I-II was inactive. Interestingly, AL-N, AL-I-I and AL-I-II were shown to exert anti-inflammatory effects on porcine enterocyte IPEC-J2 cells. AL-I-I and AL-I-II were able to down-regulate the expression of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain 1 (NOD1).

The comparison of preliminary structure and intestinal anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative activities of polysaccharides from different root parts of Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The root of Angelica sinensis, has been commonly used in gynecology for centuries, and is normally applied divided into different parts in various clinical applications. At present, the majority of existing studies focus on the volatile oil and ferulic acid extracted from different parts of A. sinensis, but there is a dearth of scientific information on its water-soluble polysaccharides. AIM OF THE STUDY: The structures of polysaccharides from plants, have been reported contributing to multiple pharmacological activities such as anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor and liver protection. Therefore, the focus of this study was on its anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory activities in vitro, which would be based on the various polysaccharides with distinct structures obtained from different parts of the A. sinensis root. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four parts of A. sinensis root were separated according to the Chinese Pharmacopoeia: head, body, tail and whole body. Crude polysaccharides were obtained by water extraction and ethanol precipitation method, and were further fractionated by DEAE Sepharose chromatographic column and gel filtration. The comparison of ASPs from different root parts were performed, including chemical compositions determined by colorimetric analysis, monosaccharide compositions measured by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), glycosidic linkage units determined by methylation and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), organic functional groups determined by FT-IR, molecular weight (Mw) demarcated by gel permeation chromatography, and the viscosities and solubilities were measured according to method published in the previous report with minor modification. In vitro biological activities of APSs were compared on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory and oxidative stress models on IPEC-J2 cells. RESULTS: Four purified polysaccharides, ASP-H-AP, ASP-B-AP, ASP-T-AP and ASP-Hb-AP from the root of A. sinensis, were obtained, and consisted of various contents of protein and the polyphenol. They were possibly pectic polysaccharides with a long homogalacturonan region as the main backbone and ramified with rhamnogalacturonan I region, but they were differed by subregions and the relative contents of glycosidic units. The Mw of four pectic polysaccharides were ranged from 67.9-267.7 kDa. The infrared spectrum also showed that the four polysaccharide fractions contained the characteristic peaks of polysaccharides. Their distinct primary structure could lead to a variety of biological activities. In vitro biological assays suggested that four polysaccharide fractions can protect IPEC-J2 cells against the LPS-induced inflammation by down-regulating inflammation factors and related genes on IPEC-J2 cells. These polysaccharides also could alleviate oxidative stress on IPEC-J2 cells by up-regulating the gene and protein expressions of antioxidant enzymes. It was concluded that ASP-H-AP possessed better anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects, while those of ASP-T-AP was relatively poor among the four polysaccharide fractions. CONCLUSION: All results indicated that the structure of pectic polysaccharides from different root parts of A. sinensis differed, which lead to their distinct anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative activities. This may also be one of the factors why different parts of A. sinensis showed various pharmacological activities and applied independently in traditional use. In addition, it would be valuable for further studies on structure-activity relationship of polysaccharides obtained by different root parts of A. sinensis.

Aconitum carmichaelii Debeaux: A systematic review on traditional use, and the chemical structures and pharmacological properties of polysaccharides and phenolic compounds in the roots.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Aconitum carmichaelii, belonging to the Ranunculaceae family, is a widely used traditional herbal plant in Asian countries, especially in China. The lateral ("Fuzi") and mother ("Chuanwu") roots are the two main plant parts used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), where they are used in the treatment of acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, rheumatoid arthritis, and as analgesics. AIM OF THE STUDY: In order to further guide the research direction and application of A. carmichaelii, this study aims to give a systematic and in-depth overview on the phytochemical and pharmacological studies of non-alkaloid natural products with focus on polysaccharides and phenolic compounds. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A comprehensive search in the literature was conducted based on the databases Google Scholar, SciFinder (American Chemical Society), Springer Link, PubMed Science, Science Direct and China National Knowledge Internet, Wanfang Data, in addition to books, doctoral and master's dissertations, and official website. The main keywords were: "Aconitum carmichaelii", "Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata", "Fuzi", "Chuanwu", "Aconiti Radix", "monkshood" and "Bushi". RESULTS: A. carmichaelii is known for the use of its different root parts, including "Fuzi" and "Chuanwu". Different types of polysaccharides, both neutral and acidic, and 39 phenolic compounds like flavonoids, phenylpropanoids, lignans, neolignans, and benzoic acid derivatives have been isolated and identified from the roots. Pharmacological studies of the isolated polysaccharides have demonstrated various biological effects such as hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, cardiovascular, immunomodulatory, anti-tumor, and neuropharmacological activities. Studies on pharmacological effects of the phenolic compounds isolated from the roots are however limited. CONCLUSIONS: This review shows that polysaccharides could be one of the active components in the roots of A. carmichaelii, and they are promising for future applications due to their pharmacological properties. In addition, polysaccharides are generally non-toxic, biocompatible, and biodegradable. This review also sheds light on new research directions for A. carmichaelii. A more detailed structural characterization of polysaccharides from different root parts of A. carmichaelii, and their structure-activity relationships are required. Additionally, their pharmacological properties as immunomodulators in the intestinal system should be investigated. Further, more knowledge about the pharmacological effects and molecular mechanisms of the phenolic compounds that have been identified are needed.

Restorative Effects of Inulin From Codonopsis pilosula on Intestinal Mucosal Immunity, Anti-Inflammatory Activity and Gut Microbiota of Immunosuppressed Mice.

An inulin (CPPF), isolated from a traditional Chinese herbal medicine Codonopsis pilosula, was characterized and demonstrated with potential prebiotic activity in vitro before. Based on its non-digested feature, the intestinal mucosa and microbiota modulatory effects in vivo on immunosuppressed mice were investigated after oral administration of 200, 100 and 50 mg/kg of CPPF for 7 days. It was demonstrated that the secretions of sIgA and mucin 2 (Muc2) in ileum were improved by CPPF, and the anti-inflammatory activities in different intestine parts were revealed. The intestine before colon could be the target active position of CPPF. As a potential prebiotic substance, a gut microbiota restorative effect was also presented by mainly modulating the relative abundance of Eubacteriales, including Oscillibacter, unidentified Ruminococcus and Lachnospiraceae after high-throughput pyrosequencing of V4 region of 16S rRNA analysis. All these results indicated that this main bioactive ingredient inulin from C. pilosula was a medicinal prebiotic with enhancing mucosal immune, anti-inflammatory and microbiota modulatory activities.

Pectic polysaccharide from Nelumbo nucifera leaves promotes intestinal antioxidant defense in vitro and in vivo.

In this study, the Nelumbo nucifera leaf polysaccharide (NNLP) was isolated by hot water extraction and ethanol precipitation. DEAE anion exchange chromatography and gel filtration were further performed to obtained the purified fraction NNLP-I-I, the molecular weight of which was 16.4 kDa. The monosaccharide composition analysis and linkage units determination showed that the fraction NNLP-I-I was a pectic polysaccharide. In addition, the NMR spectra analysis revealed that NNLP-I-I mainly consisted of a homogalacturonan backbone and rhamnogalacturonan I, containing a long HG region and short RG-I region, with AG-II and 1-3 linked rhamnose as side chains. The biological studies demonstrated that NNLP-I-I displayed antioxidant properties through mediating the Nrf2-regulated intestinal cellular antioxidant defense, which could protect cultured intestinal cells from oxidative stress and improve the intestinal function of aged mice.

New pectic polysaccharides from Codonopsis pilosula and Codonopsis tangshen: structural characterization and cellular antioxidant activities.

BACKGROUND: Codonopsis pilosula and Codonopsis tangshen are plants widely used in traditional Chinese medicine. Two pectic polysaccharides from the roots of C. pilosula and C. tangshen named as CPP-1 and CTP-1 were obtained by boiling water extraction and column chromatography. RESULTS: The core structures of both CPP-1 and CTP-1 comprise the long homogalacturonan region (HG) as the backbone and the rhamnogalacturonan I (RG-I) region as the side chains. CPP-1 has methyl esterified galacturonic acid units and a slightly lower molecular weight than CTP-1. Biological testing suggested that CPP-1 and CTP-1 can protect IPEC-J2 cells against the H2 O2 -induced oxidative stress by up-regulating nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 and related genes in IPEC-J2 cells. The different antioxidative activities of polysaccharides from different source of C. pilosula may be result of differences in their structures. CONCLUSION: All of the results indicated that pectic polysaccharides CPP-1 and CTP-1 from different species of C. pilosula roots could be used as a potential natural antioxidant source. These findings will be valuable for further studies and new applications of pectin-containing health products. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Characterization of an antioxidant pectic polysaccharide from Platycodon grandiflorus.

Platycodonis Radix is widely used as homology of medicine and food in China; polysaccharides are thought to be one of its functional constituents. In this study, a pectic polysaccharide, PGP-I-I, was obtained from the root of the traditional medicine plant Platycodon grandiflorus through ion exchange chromatography and gel filtration. This was characterized being mainly composed of 1,5-α-L-arabinan and both arabinogalactan type I (AG-I) and II chains linked to rhamnogalacturonan I (RG-I) backbone linked to longer galacturonan chains. In vitro bioactivity study showed that PGP-I-I could restore the intestinal cellular antioxidant defense under the condition of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) treatment through promoting the expressions of cellular antioxidant genes and protect against oxidative damages.

Characterization of inulin-type fructans from two species of Radix Codonopsis and their oxidative defense activation and prebiotic activities.

BACKGROUND: Codonopsis pilosula and C. tangshen are both plants widely used in traditional Chinese medicine. Polysaccharides, which are their primary active components, are thought to be important in their extensive use. In this study, two neutral polysaccharide fractions of C. pilosula (CPPN) and C. tangshen (CTPN) were obtained by fractionation on a DEAE-Sepharose column and characterized. RESULTS: It was confirmed that the neutral polymers CPPN and CTPN were ß-(2,1)-linked inulin-type fructans with non-reducing terminal glucose, and degree of polymerization (DP) of 19.6 and 25.2, respectively. The antioxidant and prebiotic activities in vitro were assayed based on IPEC-J2 cell lines and five strains of Lactobacillus. Results indicated that the effects of CPPN and CTPN were increased antioxidant defense in intestinal epithelial cells through enhanced cell viability, improved expression of total antioxidant capacity, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and catalase, and reduced levels of malondialdehyde and lactic dehydrogenase. The prebiotic activity of CPPN and CTPN was demonstrated by the promoting effect on Lactobacillus proliferation in vitro. The different biological activities obtained between the two fractions are probably due to the different DP and thus molecular weights of CPPN and CTPN. CONCLUSION: The inulin fractions from C. pilosula and C. tangshen were natural sources of potential intestinal antioxidants as well as prebiotics, which will be valuable in further studies and new applications of inulin-containing health products. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Structural features of pectic polysaccharides from stems of two species of Radix Codonopsis and their antioxidant activities.

In this study, two pectic polysaccharides from stems of Codonopsis pilosula (CPSP-1) and C. tangshen (CTSP-1) were obtained by ion exchange chromatography and gel filtration. The molecular weight of CPSP-1 and CTSP-1 were 13.1 and 23.0 kDa, respectively. The results of structure elucidation indicated that both CPSP-1 and CTSP-1 are pectic polysaccharides with long homogalacturonan regions (HG) (some of galacturonic acid units were methyl esterified) and rhamnogalacturonan I (RG-I) regions. Side chains for CTSP-1 are both arabinogalactan type I (AG-I) and type II (AG-II), while CPSP-1 only has AG-II. The biological test demonstrated that CPSP-1 and CTSP-1 displayed an antioxidant property through mediating the intestinal cellular antioxidant defense system, which could protect cultured intestinal cells from oxidative stress induced oxidative damages and cell viability suppression. CPSP-1 and CTSP-I showed different bioactivities and mechanisms, which may be due to the difference in their structures.