Structural elucidation and anti-nonalcoholic fatty liver disease activity of Polygonatum cyrtonema Hua polysaccharide.

The chemical structure and pharmacological activity of Polygonatum cyrtonema Hua polysaccharides have garnered significant attention in recent years. In this study, a homogeneous polysaccharide, PCP1, was extracted from P. cyrtonema Hua rhizomes and purified. Monosaccharide composition analysis showed that PCP1 is primarily composed of fructose, glucose, and mannose. Chemical structure analysis showed that the main chain of PCP1 is composed mainly of →1)-ß-D-Fruf-(2→ and →1,6)-ß-D-Fruf-(2→, with small amounts of →6)-α-D-Glcp-(1→, →4)-ß-D-Manp-(1→, and ß-D-Glcp-(1→. The side chain is ß-D-Fruf-(2→ linked at C-6 of →1,6)-ß-D-Fruf-(2→. In vivo experiments showed that PCP1 mitigates liver pathological damage, improves abnormal lipid metabolism and oxidative stress, promotes the production of short-chain fatty acids, and balances the composition of the intestinal microbiota in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) mice. Thus, PCP1 can be used as a natural ingredient in functional foods for the treatment of NAFLD.

Enhanced antitumor activity of inulin-capped Se nanoparticles synthesized using Jerusalem artichoke tubers.

An inulin polysaccharide with a molecular weight of ~ 2600 Da was derived from Jerusalem artichoke tubers and referred to as "JAP". Previous studies have shown that inulin can improve glucose tolerance and the liver lipid profile; however, its antitumor activity remains to be examined in detail. Therefore, to investigate the possible improvement of the antitumor activity of JAP, a novel nanostructured biomaterial was constructed by capping Se nanoparticles with JAP using sodium selenite, via a redox reaction with ascorbic acid, and referred to as "JAP-SeNPs". Transmission electron microscopy revealed that the average diameter of JAP-SeNPs is ~ 50 nm, and the C:Se mass ratio in JAP-SeNPs was found to be 15.4:1 by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The well-dispersed JAP-SeNPs exhibited a significant in vitro antiproliferative effect on mouse forestomach carcinoma cells at a concentration of 400 µg/mL when incubated for 48 h, with an inhibition rate of 41.5%. Moreover, 38.9% of later apoptotic cells were observed. These results reveal that a combination of Se and JAP can effectively enhance the antitumor activity of polysaccharides obtained from Jerusalem artichoke tubers.