Genome-scale metabolic modeling of the human milk oligosaccharide utilization by Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis.

Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis is a representative and dominant species in the infant gut and is considered a beneficial microbe. This organism displays multiple adaptations to thrive in the infant gut, regarded as a model for human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) utilization. These carbohydrates are abundant in breast milk and include different molecules based on lactose. They contain fucose, sialic acid, and N-acetylglucosamine. Bifidobacterium metabolism is complex, and a systems view of relevant metabolic pathways and exchange metabolites during HMO consumption is missing. To address this limitation, a refined genome-scale network reconstruction of this bacterium is presented using a previous reconstruction of B. infantis ATCC 15967 as a template. The latter was expanded based on an extensive revision of genome annotations, current literature, and transcriptomic data integration. The metabolic reconstruction (iLR578) accounted for 578 genes, 1,047 reactions, and 924 metabolites. Starting from this reconstruction, we built context-specific genome-scale metabolic models using RNA-seq data from cultures growing in lactose and three HMOs. The models revealed notable differences in HMO metabolism depending on the functional characteristics of the substrates. Particularly, fucosyl-lactose showed a divergent metabolism due to a fucose moiety. High yields of lactate and acetate were predicted under growth rate maximization in all conditions, whereas formate, ethanol, and 1,2-propanediol were substantially lower. Similar results were also obtained under near-optimal growth on each substrate when varying the empirically observed acetate-to-lactate production ratio. Model predictions displayed reasonable agreement between central carbon metabolism fluxes and expression data across all conditions. Flux coupling analysis revealed additional connections between succinate exchange and arginine and sulfate metabolism and a strong coupling between central carbon reactions and adenine metabolism. More importantly, specific networks of coupled reactions under each carbon source were derived and analyzed. Overall, the presented network reconstruction constitutes a valuable platform for probing the metabolism of this prominent infant gut bifidobacteria.IMPORTANCEThis work presents a detailed reconstruction of the metabolism of Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis, a prominent member of the infant gut microbiome, providing a systems view of its metabolism of human milk oligosaccharides.

Label-Free Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Quantitation of Relative N- and O-Glycan Concentrations in Human Milk in Japan.

Human milk is abundant in carbohydrates and includes human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) and N/O-glycans conjugated to proteins. HMO compositions and concentrations vary in individuals according to the maternal secretor status based on the fucosyltransferase 2 genotype; however, the profile of N/O-glycans remains uninvestigated because of the analytical complexity. Herein, we applied a label-free chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) technique to elucidate the variation in the composition and concentration of N/O-glycans in human milk. We used label-free LC-MS to relatively quantify 16 N-glycans and 12 O-glycans in 200 samples of Japanese human milk (1-2 months postpartum) and applied high performance anion exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection to absolutely quantify the concentrations of 11 representative HMOs. Cluster analysis of the quantitative data revealed that O-glycans and several HMOs were classified according to the presence or absence of fucose linked to galactose while N-glycans were classified into a different group from O-glycans and HMOs. O-glycans and HMOs with fucose linked to galactose were more abundant in human milk from secretor mothers than from nonsecretor mothers. Thus, secretor status influenced the composition and concentration of HMOs and O-glycans but not those of N-glycans in human milk.

Developing a Fluorescent Inducible System for Free Fucose Quantification in Escherichia coli.

L-Fucose is a monosaccharide abundant in mammalian glycoconjugates. In humans, fucose can be found in human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), mucins, and glycoproteins in the intestinal epithelium. The bacterial consumption of fucose and fucosylated HMOs is critical in the gut microbiome assembly of infants, dominated by Bifidobacterium. Fucose metabolism is important for the production of short-chain fatty acids and is involved in cross-feeding microbial interactions. Methods for assessing fucose concentrations in complex media are lacking. Here we designed and developed a molecular quantification method of free fucose using fluorescent Escherichia coli. For this, low- and high-copy plasmids were evaluated with and without the transcription factor fucR and its respective fucose-inducible promoter controlling the reporter gene sfGFP. E. coli BL21 transformed with a high copy plasmid containing pFuc and fucR displayed a high resolution across increasing fucose concentrations and high fluorescence/OD values after 18 h. The molecular circuit was specific against other monosaccharides and showed a linear response in the 0-45 mM range. Adjusting data to the Hill equation suggested non-cooperative, simple regulation of FucR to its promoter. Finally, the biosensor was tested on different concentrations of free fucose and the supernatant of Bifidobacterium bifidum JCM 1254 supplemented with 2-fucosyl lactose, indicating the applicability of the method in detecting free fucose. In conclusion, a bacterial biosensor of fucose was validated with good sensitivity and precision. A biological method for quantifying fucose could be useful for nutraceutical and microbiological applications, as well as molecular diagnostics.

Heightened Proinflammatory Glycosylation of Borrelia burgdorferi IgG Antibodies in Synovial Fluid in Patients With Antibiotic-Refractory Lyme Arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: Terminal glycans on the Fc portion of IgG antibodies are critical for antibody-triggered, proinflammatory or antiinflammatory responses. We undertook this study to compare glycan profiles of total IgG1 and Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb)-specific IgG1 antibodies in patients with oral antibiotic-responsive or antibiotic-refractory Lyme arthritis (LA). METHODS: Following affinity-column processing, glycan profiles of IgG antibodies were determined in serum and synovial fluid (SF) samples of 21 LA patients using glycoblotting with hydrazide glycan enrichment and determination of glycan structure by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Correlations between glycan profiles and treatment outcomes were analyzed. RESULTS: Compared with patients with antibiotic-refractory LA, those with antibiotic-responsive LA had total and Bb-specific IgG1 antibody glycans with less intense inflammatory profiles, containing lower percentages of N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) and bisecting GlcNAc and higher percentages of galactose and fucose. In contrast, patients with antibiotic-refractory LA prior to receiving IV antibiotic therapy had total IgG1 and Bb IgG1 antibodies with maximal, minimally opposed, proinflammatory glycan profiles, containing high percentages of GlcNAc and bisecting GlcNAc, intermediate percentages with galactose and fucose, and low percentages with N-acetylneuraminic acid (sialic acid). Patients with refractory LA who were first seen with synovitis after receiving IV antibiotic therapy still had Bb IgG1 antibodies with strongly inflammatory glycan profiles, but their inflammatory potential appeared to be waning. CONCLUSION: Patients with oral antibiotic-responsive LA had Bb IgG1 antibodies with more balanced proinflammatory/antiinflammatory glycan profiles, whereas patients with antibiotic-refractory LA had Bb IgG1 antibodies with maximal, minimally opposed, proinflammatory glycan profiles. Among patients with antibiotic-refractory LA, antibodies with this unbalanced inflammatory glycan profile may have a role in sustaining maladaptive joint inflammation.

Human Milk Oligosaccharide 2'-Fucosyllactose Inhibits Ligand Binding to C-Type Lectin DC-SIGN but Not to Langerin.

Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) and their most abundant component, 2'-Fucosyllactose (2'-FL), are known to be immunomodulatory. Previously, it was shown that HMOs and 2'-FL bind to the C-type lectin receptor DC-SIGN. Here we show, using a ligand-receptor competition assay, that a whole mixture of HMOs from pooled human milk (HMOS) and 2'-FL inhibit the binding of the carbohydrate-binding receptor DC-SIGN to its prototypical ligands, fucose and the oligosaccharide Lewis-B, (Leb) in a dose-dependent way. Interestingly, such inhibition by HMOS and 2'-FL was not detected for another C-type lectin, langerin, which is evolutionarily similar to DC-SIGN. The cell-ligand competition assay using DC-SIGN expressing cells confirmed that 2'-FL inhibits the binding of DC-SIGN to Leb. Molecular dynamic (MD) simulations show that 2'-FL exists in a preorganized bioactive conformation before binding to DC-SIGN and this conformation is retained after binding to DC-SIGN. Leb has more flexible conformations and utilizes two binding modes, which operate one at a time via its two fucoses to bind to DC-SIGN. Our hypothesis is that 2'-FL may have a reduced entropic penalty due to its preorganized state, compared to Leb, and it has a lower binding enthalpy, suggesting a better binding to DC-SIGN. Thus, due to the better binding to DC-SIGN, 2'-FL may replace Leb from its binding pocket in DC-SIGN. The MD simulations also showed that 2'-FL does not bind to langerin. Our studies confirm 2'-FL as a specific ligand for DC-SIGN and suggest that 2'-FL can replace other DC-SIGN ligands from its binding pocket during the ligand-receptor interactions in possible immunomodulatory processes.

1H NMR Metabolomics of Chinese Human Milk at Different Stages of Lactation among Secretors and Non-Secretors.

Human milk is an intricate, bioactive food promoting infant health. We studied the composition of human milk samples collected over an 8-month lactation using 1H NMR metabolomics. A total of 72 human breast milk samples were collected from ten Chinese mothers at eight different time points. The concentrations of ten human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), fucose and lactose were quantified. Six of the mothers were classified as Lewis-positive secretors (Se+Le+) and four as Lewis-positive non-secretors (Se-Le+) based on the levels of 2'-fucosyllactose (2'-FL), lacto-N-fucopentaose (LNFP) II, lactodifucotetraose (LDFT) and lacto-N-neotetraose (LNnT). Acetate, citrate, short/medium-chain fatty acids, glutamine and urea showed a time-dependent trend in relation to the stage of lactation. The concentrations of 2'-FL, 3-FL (3-fucosyllactose), 3'-SL (3'-sialyllactose), LDFT, LNFP I, LNFP II, LNFP III, LNnT, LNT (lacto-N-tetraose), and fucose were statistically different between secretors and non-secretors. A temporal difference of approximately 1-2 months between the development of non-secretor and secretor HMO profiles was shown. The results highlighted the importance of long-term breastfeeding, especially among non-secretors.

Infant Gut Microbial Metagenome Mining of α-l-Fucosidases with Activity on Fucosylated Human Milk Oligosaccharides and Glycoconjugates.

The gastrointestinal microbiota members produce α-l-fucosidases that play key roles in mucosal, human milk, and dietary oligosaccharide assimilation. Here, 36 open reading frames (ORFs) coding for putative α-l-fucosidases belonging to glycosyl hydrolase family 29 (GH29) were identified through metagenome analysis of breast-fed infant fecal microbiome. Twenty-two of those ORFs showed a complete coding sequence with deduced amino acid sequences displaying the highest degree of identity with α-l-fucosidases from Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, Bacteroides caccae, Phocaeicola vulgatus, Phocaeicola dorei, Ruminococcus gnavus, and Streptococcus parasanguinis. Based on sequence homology, 10 α-l-fucosidase genes were selected for substrate specificity characterization. The α-l-fucosidases Fuc18, Fuc19A, Fuc35B, Fuc39, and Fuc1584 showed hydrolytic activity on α1,3/4-linked fucose present in Lewis blood antigens and the human milk oligosaccharide (HMO) 3-fucosyllactose. In addition, Fuc1584 also hydrolyzed fucosyl-α-1,6-N-acetylglucosamine (6FN), a component of the core fucosylation of N-glycans. Fuc35A and Fuc193 showed activity on α1,2/3/4/6 linkages from H type-2, Lewis blood antigens, HMOs and 6FN. Fuc30 displayed activity only on α1,6-linked l-fucose, and Fuc5372 showed a preference for α1,2 linkages. Fuc2358 exhibited a broad substrate specificity releasing l-fucose from all the tested free histo-blood group antigens, HMOs, and 6FN. This latest enzyme also displayed activity in glycoconjugates carrying lacto-N-fucopentaose II (Lea) and lacto-N-fucopentaose III (Lex) and in the glycoprotein mucin. Fuc18, Fuc19A, and Fuc39 also removed l-fucose from neoglycoproteins and human α-1 acid glycoprotein. These results give insight into the great diversity of α-l-fucosidases from the infant gut microbiota, thus supporting the hypothesis that fucosylated glycans are crucial for shaping the newborn microbiota composition. IMPORTANCE α-l-Fucosyl residues are frequently present in many relevant glycans, such as human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), histo-blood group antigens (HBGAs), and epitopes on cell surface glycoconjugate receptors. These fucosylated glycans are involved in a number of mammalian physiological processes, including adhesion of pathogens and immune responses. The modulation of l-fucose content in such processes may provide new insights and knowledge regarding molecular interactions and may help to devise new therapeutic strategies. Microbial α-l-fucosidases are exoglycosidases that remove α-l-fucosyl residues from free oligosaccharides and glycoconjugates and can be also used in transglycosylation reactions to synthesize oligosaccharides. In this work, α-l-fucosidases from the GH29 family were identified and characterized from the metagenome of fecal samples of breastfed infants. These enzymes showed different substrate specificities toward HMOs, HBGAs, naturally occurring glycoproteins, and neoglycoproteins. These novel glycosidase enzymes from the breast-fed infant gut microbiota, which resulted in a good source of α-l-fucosidases, have great biotechnological potential.

Physicochemical Characterization of a Fern Polysaccharide from Alsophila spinulosa Leaf and Its Anti-Aging Activity in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Alsophila spinulosa, as a rare tree fern with potential medicinal value, has attracted extensive attention. Herein, the physicochemical properties, antioxidant and anti-aging activities of polysaccharide from A. spinulosa leaf (ALP) were investigated. ALP was composed of galactose, arabinose, glucose, rhamnose, galacturonic acid, mannose, and fucose. (1→), (1→6), and (1→2) bond types were the primary glycosidic bond in ALP. Surprisingly, ALP displayed the wonderful activity of antioxidant and anti-aging, including excellent scavenging ability against DPPH and ABTS radicals in vitro; prolonging the life span, improving activity of antioxidative enzymes (SOD and CAT), and decreasing the level of ROS, MDA in Caenorhabditis elegans. Meanwhile, ALP promoted DAF-16 to move into the nuclear. Overall, our results illustrated that ALP could be further developed as a functional food ingredient.

Quantification and Topographical Distribution of Terminal and Linked Fucose Residues in Human Spermatozoa by Using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM).

The modification of sperm glycocalyx is an essential process during sperm capacitation. The presence and redistribution of terminal and linked fucose have been described during in vitro capacitation in humans. However, the influence of the capacitation time on the quantification and localization of terminal and linked fucose is still unknown. In this study, the quantitative and qualitative changes in fucosyl residues during different in vitro capacitation times (1 and 4 h), are simultaneously characterized by using Aleuria aurantia (AAA) lectin-gold labelling and high-resolution field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) in human sperm. A significant decrease was found in the number of terminal fucose registered in the whole sperm head during the in vitro capacitation. Nevertheless, the quantification of fucose residues after 1 h of in vitro capacitation was very similar to those found after 4 h. Therefore, the changes observed in terminal and linked fucose during capacitation were not time-dependent. Furthermore, the comprehensive analysis of the topographic distribution showed the preferential fucosyl location in the acrosomal region and the presence of distinct clusters distributed over the head in all the studied conditions. Overall, these findings corroborate the validity of FE-SEM combined with gold labelling to register changes in surface molecules during in vitro sperm capacitation.

Antibody fucosylation predicts disease severity in secondary dengue infection.

Although antiviral antibodies generally confer protective functions, antibodies against dengue virus (DENV) are associated with enhanced disease susceptibility. Antibodies can mediate DENV infection of leukocytes via Fcγ receptors, likely contributing to dengue disease pathogenesis. To determine if this mechanism accounts for variable disease severity, we examined Fab and Fc structures of anti-DENV antibodies from patients before and after infection and with variable disease outcomes. Neither antibody titers nor neutralizing activity correlated with disease severity in DENV-infected populations. Rather, DENV infection induced a specific increase in immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) afucosylation, and the levels of afucosylated IgG1 were predictive of dengue disease severity. Thus, the IgG1 fucosylation status represents a robust prognostic tool for dengue disease, highlighting the key role of the Fc glycan structure in dengue pathogenesis.

Purification and characterization of a fucoidan from the brown algae Macrocystis pyrifera and the activity of enhancing salt-stress tolerance of wheat seedlings.

A fuciodan (Mw = 11.1 kDa) was obtained and purified from Macrocystis pyrifera (MPF). MPF was an acid heteropolysaccharide including fucose, mannose, xylose, galactose, rhamnose, glucuronic acid, and glucose in a molar ratio of 3.1:1.0:0.86:0.63:0.25:0.33:0.11. Sulfate content in MPF was 28.6%, and the molar ratio of fucose to sulfate (Fuc:SO42-) was 1.0:0.58. The structure of MPF was mainly consist of repeating →3)-ß-L-Fucp (2SO3-)-(1→ and →4)-ß-D-Xylp-(1→3)-ß-L-Fucp(2SO3-)-(1→ and with α-L-Fucp-(1→ and →6)-α-D-Galp-(1→ in branches. Moreover, the effects of different MPF concentrations on plant salt tolerance were investigated. The results indicated that MPF could improve the salt tolerance of wheat seedlings. Among the five concentrations (0.05, 0.1, 0.5, 1, and 2 mg/ml), 0.5 and 1 mg/ml MPF were optimal for effective plant salt-resistance activity. These results suggested that MPF extracted from brown seaweed show potential as plant stimulators that may be used to improve salt resistance of plants.

Postnatal cadmium administration affects the presence and distribution of carbohydrates in the sperm membrane during maturation in the epididymis in adult Wistar rats.

Cadmium (Cd) is a heavy metal related to a decrease in sperm parameters. The transit of spermatozoa through the epididymis is necessary to generate changes in the sperm membrane, such as the assembly of various carbohydrates that are added to the spermatazoan's surface to prepare it for successful fertilisation of the oocyte. No studies have yet analysed whether Cd alters the presence and distribution of these carbohydrates. We aimed to evaluate the changes induced by Cd in the distribution pattern of N-acetylglucosamine, sialic acid, mannose and fucose on the sperm membrane in the epididymis (e.g. caput, corpus, cauda) and if it alters the epididymal epithelium. Male Wistar pups were treated with Cd doses (0.125, 0.25 and 0.5mg/kg) on postnatal days 1-49. At postnatal day 90, they were humanely killed, sperm samples were obtained from the epididymis and tissue samples were taken for histological analysis. Cd concentrations in the blood and epididymis increased in proportion to the dose administered and decreased the serum testosterone levels and sperm quality. Histological analysis revealed alterations in the epithelium in all Cd-treated groups. Cd altered the distribution patterns of carbohydrates and fluorescence indices. All these alterations affected the structure and functioning of sperm.

Afucosylated IgG characterizes enveloped viral responses and correlates with COVID-19 severity.

Immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies are crucial for protection against invading pathogens. A highly conserved N-linked glycan within the IgG-Fc tail, which is essential for IgG function, shows variable composition in humans. Afucosylated IgG variants are already used in anticancer therapeutic antibodies for their increased activity through Fc receptors (FcγRIIIa). Here, we report that afucosylated IgG (approximately 6% of total IgG in humans) are specifically formed against enveloped viruses but generally not against other antigens. This mediates stronger FcγRIIIa responses but also amplifies brewing cytokine storms and immune-mediated pathologies. Critically ill COVID-19 patients, but not those with mild symptoms, had high concentrations of afucosylated IgG antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), amplifying proinflammatory cytokine release and acute phase responses. Thus, antibody glycosylation plays a critical role in immune responses to enveloped viruses, including COVID-19.

96-Well Microtiter Plate Made of Paper: A Printed Chemosensor Array for Quantitative Detection of Saccharides.

Simple, rapid, and accurate detection methods for saccharides are potentially applicable to various fields such as clinical and food chemistry. However, the practical applications of on-site analytical methods are still limited. To this end, herein, we propose a 96-well microtiter plate made of paper as a paper-based chemosensor array device (PCSAD) for the simultaneous classification of 12 saccharides and the quantification of fructose and glucose among 12 saccharides. The mechanism of the saccharide detection relied on an indicator displacement assay (IDA) on the PCSAD using four types of catechol dyes, 3-nitrophenylboronic acid, and the saccharides. The design of the PCSAD and the experimental conditions for the IDA were optimized using a central composite design. The chemosensors exhibited clear color changes upon the addition of saccharides on the paper because of the competitive boronate esterification. The color changes were employed for the subsequent qualitative, semiquantitative, and quantitative analyses using an automated algorithm combined with pattern recognition for digital images. A qualitative linear discrimination analysis offered discrimination of 12 saccharides with a 100% classification rate. The semiquantitative analysis of fructose in the presence of glucose was carried out from the viewpoint of food analysis utilizing a support vector machine, resulting in clear discrimination of the various concentrations of fructose. Most importantly, the quantitative detection of fructose in two types of commercial soft drinks was also successfully carried out without sample pretreatments. Thus, the proposed PCSAD can be a powerful method for on-site food analyses that can meet the increasing demand from consumers for sensors of saccharides.

Water and Lipid-Soluble Component Profile of Sargassum cristaefolium from Different Coastal Areas in Indonesia with Potential for Developing Functional Ingredient.

Sargassum brown seaweed is known to have many health benefits and therapeutic effects. Preliminary chemical characterization of this seaweed is important as a bioprospecting strategy for seaweed industry development. This study aimed to evaluate chemical composition differences, both water and lipidsoluble component, of Sargassum cristaefolium from four different coastal areas in Indonesia, namely Pari Island/PI, Awur Bay/AB, Ujung Genteng Beach/UGB, and Sayang Heulang Beach/SHB. Principal component analysis (PCA) on water-soluble component made samples from different origins to be clearly distinguished (variance: 80.37%). SHB and UGB samples were characterized by a high content of ash, alginate, fucose-containing sulfated polysaccharides (FCSPs), and fucose content of FCSPs, while samples of AB and PI had a high amount of total sugar and crude fiber. PCA result on lipid-soluble components showed a different tendency that SHB and AB samples were located at close proximity and characterized by larger blade size, higher content of chlorophyll, fucoxanthin, carotenoid, PUFA, total n-3 fatty acids, total n-6 fatty acids, and also a lower ratio of n-6 to n-3 (variance: 75.42%). The overview of each samples' chemical characteristics can be valuable knowledge for further development, especially for developing functional ingredients.

Blends of Human Milk Oligosaccharides Confer Intestinal Epithelial Barrier Protection in Vitro.

Breastfeeding is integral in the proper maturation of the intestinal barrier and protection against inflammatory diseases. When human milk (HM) is not available, supplementation with HM bioactives like Human Milk Oligosaccharides (HMOs) may help in providing breastfeeding barrier-protective benefits. An increasing HMO variety is becoming industrially available, enabling approaching the HMO complexity in HM. We aimed at assessing the impact of blends of available HMOs on epithelial barrier function in vitro. The capacity of individual [2'-Fucosyllactose (2'FL), Difucosyllactose, Lacto-N-tetraose, Lacto-N-neotetraose, 3'-Siallylactose and 6'-Siallylactose] or varying combinations of 3, 5 and 6 HMOs to modulate fluorescein-isothiocyanate (FITC)-labelled Dextran 4 KDa (FD4) translocation and/or transepithelial resistance (TEER) was characterized in Caco-2: HT29- methotrexate (MTX) cell line monolayers before and after an inflammatory challenge with TNF-α and IFN-γ. The six HMO blend (HMO6) dose-dependently limited the cytokine-induced FD4 translocation and TEER decrease and increased TEER values before challenge. Similarly, 3 and 5 HMO blends conferred a significant protection against the challenge, with 2'FL, one of the most abundant but most variable oligosaccharides in HM, being a key contributor. Overall, our results suggest differential ability of specific HMOs in modulating the intestinal barrier and support the potential of supplementation with combinations of available HMOs to promote gut health and protect against intestinal inflammatory disorders.

Characterization of a polysaccharide from Eupolyphaga sinensis walker and its effective antitumor activity via lymphocyte activation.

A polysaccharide (ESPS) purified from Eupolyphaga sinensis Walker by ion exchange chromatography and gel chromatography was investigated, including its structure characterization and antitumor activity. The results showed that ESPS was composed of rhamnose, fucose, arabinose, xylose, glucose, and galactose in a molar ratio of 7.4: 3.1: 13.9: 9.3: 39.7: 26.5, with the mean weight (Mw) of 2.14 × 104Da; the main chain of ESPS was mainly composed of → 4) - α - D - Glcp - (1 â†’ and → 3) - ß - D - Galp - (1 →, and the side chains were connected to the main chain through the O-6 atom of glucose and O-4 and O-6 atom of galactose. In addition, ESPS promoted the lymphocyte proliferation and inhibited liver cancer cells growth through enhancing lymphocyte activity in vitro, mainly NK cells. Moreover, ESPS markedly stimulated immunity in H22-bearing mice by increasing the spleen and thymus indices and effectively inhibited H22 cell growth in vivo. These data indicated that ESPS was a polysaccharide component possessing high anti-hepatocellular carcinoma activity, representing a potential immunotherapy candidate for the treatment of liver cancer.

Enzymatic hydrolysis of polysaccharide from Auricularia auricula and characterization of the degradation product.

An efficient enzymatic hydrolysis method was developed and optimized for the degradation of auricularia auricula polysaccharide (AAP) and the degradation product of AAP was characterized. Cellulase was used for the degradation of AAP. The yield of reducing sugar and the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging rate were used as indices to optimize the enzymatic hydrolysis of AAP, based on response surface methodology (RSM). The resulting optimal enzymolysis conditions were as follows: enzyme dosage, 13,500 U/g; enzymolysis temperature, 50 °C; and pH, 4.2. Under these conditions, the actual yield of reducing sugar was 16.50 mg/mL and the DPPH radical scavenging rate was 87.97%. The degradation product of AAP (C-EAAP) was homogeneous and contained alpha and beta glycoside bonds, but did not contain protein or nucleic acid. The molecular weight of the degradation product was 5.94 × 105 Da. Monosaccharide composition analysis revealed that C-EAAP was composed of mannose (57.1%), glucuronic acid (10.0%), rhamnose (0.4%), glucose (22.5%), galactose (2.9%), xylose (6.0%), and fucose (1.1%). The antioxidant activity of the polysaccharide indicated that C-EAAP had better antioxidant activity than AAP. The scavenging rates of C-EAAP for hydroxyl radicals (·OH) and superoxide anion radicals (O2-·) were 1.65 and 1.90 times those of AAP.

Protective effects of curcumin on bleomycin-induced changes in lung glycoproteins.

The present study investigated the therapeutic effect of curcumin on bleomycin (BLM)-induced alterations in glycoprotein components in the fibrotic lungs. Analysis of the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) demonstrated increased fibronectin content at 3, 5, 7, and 14 days after BLM administration. Similarly, lung tissue fibronectin content revealed a progressive increase at various times (days 3, 5, 7, 14, and 28) during the development of lung fibrosis. In addition, alveolar macrophage release of fibronectin was also elevated in BLM-treated rats. Analysis of carbohydrate moieties of glycoproteins revealed an increase in total hexose, fucose, sialic acid and hexosamine levels at 7, 14, and 28 days after BLM treatment. Furthermore, the activities of lung glycosidases such as N-acetyl-ß-D-glucosaminidase, ß-glucosidase, ß-galactosidase, and ß-fucosidase in the fibrotic rats were elevated. Importantly, curcumin significantly inhibited the BLM-induced increases in BALF and lung fibronectin levels. Treatment of BLM rats with curcumin dramatically suppressed alveolar macrophage release of fibronectin. Curcumin also inhibited the increases in complex carbohydrates and glycosidases in the fibrotic lungs. These findings suggest that BLM-induced lung fibrosis is associated with accumulation of glycoproteins, and curcumin has the ability to suppress the enhanced deposition of glycoproteins in the fibrotic lung.

The activation of NF-κB and MAPKs signaling pathways of RAW264.7 murine macrophages and natural killer cells by fucoidan from Nizamuddinia zanardinii.

Polysaccharides from Nizamuddinia zanardinii were extracted using water at elevated temperature and fractionated by a DEAE Sepharose FF column yielding four fractions (F1-F4). Crude and fractions were composed of neutral sugars (50.8-57.4%), proteins (10.8-18.1%), sulfates (7.5-17.3%) and uronic acids (3.5-7.7%). Various levels of galactose (13.4-44.4%), fucose (34.1-40.1%), mannose (14.1-33.2%) and xylose (7.4-15.2%) formed the building blocks of the polysaccharide structures. The weight average molecular weights (Mw) of polysaccharides varied between 40.3 and 1254.4 × 103 g/mol. F3 polysaccharide was the most active fraction stimulating RAW264.7 murine macrophage cells to secrete NO, TNF-α, IL-1ß and IL-6, and activating NK cells to release TNF-α, INF-γ, granzyme-B, perforin, NKG2D and FasL through NF-κB and MAPKs signaling pathways. Highly-branched F3 polysaccharide mainly consisted of (1 â†’ 2)-Fucp, (1 â†’ 2,3)-Manp, (1 â†’ 3)-Galp, (1 â†’ 2)-Manp, (1 â†’ 3)-Manp, (1 â†’ 2,3,4)-Manp and (1 â†’ 2,3,6)-Manp residues with great amount of (→1)-Fucp and (→1)-Xylp. Sulfates substituted at C-2 of fucose and galactose residues. Overall, fucoidan from N. zanardinii showed immense potency in boosting immune system through macrophages and NK cells activations and therefore suitable for further exploration in immune-mediated biomedical applications.