Effects of different processing (Paozhi) on structural characterization and antioxidant activities of polysaccharides from Cistanche deserticola.

In this study, five polysaccharides were extracted from processed Cistanche deserticola. The processing included crude product, enzymatic hydrolysis, hot air drying, stir-baking with wine and high-pressure steaming, and these polysaccharides were named as CP-CDPs, EH-CDPs, HAD-CDPs, SBW-CDPs and HPS-CDPs, respectively. The structural characteristics and biological activities were explored. The results showed that processing changed properties of C. deserticola polysaccharides. CP-CDPs had the highest brightness value L*(93.84) and carbohydrate content (61.27 %). EH-CDPs had minimum Mw (1531.50 kDa), while SBW-CDPs had maximum Mw (2526.0 kDa). Glucose was major predominant monosaccharide in CP-CDPs (89.82 %), HAD-CDPs (79.3 %), SBW-CDPs (59.41 %) and HPS-CDPs (63.86 %), while galactose was major monosaccharide in EH-CDPs (29.44 %). According to SEM, SBW-CDPs showed compact structures, while HPS-CDPs and HAD-CDPs had similar looser structure than SBW-CDPs; meanwhile, CP-CDPs showed irregular agglomeration shape and EH-CDPs was dense blocky shape. The AFM showed SBW-CDPs had the largest molecular chain than other polysaccharides. When scavenging activity reaching 50 %, the concentrations of CP-CDPs, EH-CDPs, HAD-CDPs, SBW-CDPs, HPS-CDPs are 2.25, 0.25, 0.75, 1.8 and 1.5 mg/mL, respectively. This study sheds light on the effects of traditional Chinese medicine processing on characteristics, bioactivities of C. deserticola polysaccharides, and provides the basis for applications in food and pharmaceutical industries.

Green Extraction of Forsythoside A, Phillyrin and Phillygenol from Forsythia suspensa Leaves Using a ß-Cyclodextrin-Assisted Method.

In this study, a green process of ß-cyclodextrin (ß-CD)-assisted extraction of active ingredients from Forsythia suspensa leaves was developed. Firstly, the optimal process of extraction was as follows: the ratio between Forsythia suspensa leaves and ß-CD was 3.61:5, the solid-liquid ratio was 1:36.3, the temperature was 75.25 °C and the pH was 3.94. The yields of forsythoside A, phillyrin and phillygenol were 11.80 ± 0.141%, 5.49 ± 0.078% and 0.319 ± 0.004%, respectively. Then, the structure characteristics of the ß-CD-assisted extract of Forsythia suspensa leaves (FSE-ß-CD) were analyzed using powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and molecular docking to demonstrate that the natural active products from Forsythia suspensa leaves had significant interactions with the ß-CD. Additionally, the loss of forsythoside A from aqueous FSE-CD at 80 °C was only 12%, compared with Forsythia suspensa leaf extract (FSE) which decreased by 13%. In addition, the aqueous solubility of FSE-CD was significantly increased to 70.2 g/L. The EC50 for scavenging DPPH and ABTS radicals decreased to 28.98 ug/mL and 25.54 ug/mL, respectively. The results showed that the ß-CD-assisted extraction process would be a promising technology for bioactive compounds extracted from plants.