Characteristics and intestinal immunomodulating activities of water-soluble pectic polysaccharides from Chenpi with different storage periods.

BACKGROUND: The traditional view considers that Chenpi (dried citrus peel) stored over the long-term has better health efficacies compared to fresh Chenpi, although the detailed mechanism responsible for this remains obscure. RESULTS: The three water-soluble pectic polysaccharides (CPP1, CPP5 and CPP10) were obtained from 1-, 5- and 10-year Chenpi, respectively, and their physicochemical characteristics and intestinal immunomodulating activities were investigated and compared. The results obtained showed that CPP5 and CPP10 demonstrated a lower dynamic viscosity and degree of methylesterification, as well as a higher molecular heterogeneity, compared to CPP1. Monosaccharide composition analysis indicated that CPP1 was composed of arabinose, galacturonic acid and galactose, and a small amount of rhamnose; however, CPP5 and CPP10 consisted of arabinose, galacturonic acid, galactose, glucose and xylose, and a small amount of rhamnose. With the extension of storage period of Chenpi, the content of soluble conjugate phenolic acids increased in the pectic polysaccharide. Furthermore, it was confirmed that the pectic polysaccharides extracted from the 5-year and 10-year Chenpi could significantly enhance the proliferation of bone marrow cells via activating the Peyer's patch cells in vitro. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrates the differences in the pectic polysaccharides from Chenpi with different storage periods and also confirms that the pectic polysaccharides extracted from Chenpi stored over the long-term had more significant intestinal activities compared to that obtained from the fresh Chenpi. This phenomenon might partly explain why the Chenpi stored over the long-term has better healthcare effects. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

A polysaccharide from Dendrobium huoshanense prevents hepatic inflammatory response caused by carbon tetrachloride.

Dendrobium huoshanense is a precious herbal medicine in China, which exhibits a variety of restorative and therapeutic effects. This study aimed at investigating the hepatoprotective effects of a polysaccharide (DHP1A) isolated from D. huoshanense via water extraction, diethylaminoethyl (DEAE) cellulose anion exchange and size exclusion chromatography. The animal experiment indicated that the oral administration of DHP1A obviously reduced the levels of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine in the serum of mice treated with carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), suggesting the hepatoprotective potential of this polysaccharide. Moreover, DHP1A decreased the expressions of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1ß, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, macrophage inflammatory protein-2, CD68 and phosphorylated IκBα (p-IκBα) in the CCl4-treated mice. These results revealed that the hepatoprotective effect of DHP1A was partly attributed to its anti-inflammatory action.