Basil polysaccharides: A review on extraction,bioactivities and pharmacological applications

Traditional Chinese Medicine has been widely used in China and is regarded as the most commonly used treatment. As a natural plant used in traditional Chinese Medicine, Basil has various functions associated with a number of its components. There are many compositions in basil including polysaccharides, naphtha, steroids, flavone, coumarins, vitamins, and so on. Among these, polysaccharides play a significant role in based therapeutics. The article summarizes that basil polysaccharides have a lot of biological activities and pharmacological applications, such as their antitumor activity, antioxidant activity, anti-aging activity, immunity enhancement effect, hypolipidemic and anti-atherosclerotic effects, antibacterial effect, treatment of diabetes mellitus, and so on. This review summarized the extraction method, purification method, compositions, pharmacological applications, molecular weight, biological activities, and prospects of basil polysaccharides, providing a basis for further study of basil and basil polysaccharides.     

Medicinal mushrooms as a source of antitumor and immunomodulating polysaccharides

The number of mushrooms on Earth is estimated at 140,000, yet maybe only 10% (approximately 14,000 named species) are known. Mushrooms comprise a vast and yet largely untapped source of powerful new pharmaceutical products. In particular, and most importantly for modern medicine, they represent an unlimited source of polysaccharides with antitumor and immunostimulating properties. Many, if not all, Basidiomycetes mushrooms contain biologically active polysaccharides in fruit bodies, cultured mycelium, culture broth. Data on mushroom polysaccharides have been collected from 651 species and 7 infraspecific taxa from 182 genera of higher Hetero- and Homobasidiomycetes. These polysaccharides are of different chemical composition, with most belonging to the group of beta-glucans; these have beta-(1-->3) linkages in the main chain of the glucan and additional beta-(1-->6) branch points that are needed for their antitumor action. High molecular weight glucans appear to be more effective than those of low molecular weight. Chemical modification is often carried out to improve the antitumor activity of polysaccharides and their clinical qualities (mostly water solubility). The main procedures used for chemical improvement are: Smith degradation (oxydo-reducto-hydrolysis), formolysis, and carboxymethylation. Most of the clinical evidence for antitumor activity comes from the commercial polysaccharides lentinan, PSK (krestin), and schizophyllan, but polysaccharides of some other promising medicinal mushroom species also show good results. Their activity is especially beneficial in clinics when used in conjunction with chemotherapy. Mushroom polysaccharides prevent oncogenesis, show direct antitumor activity against various allogeneic and syngeneic tumors, and prevent tumor metastasis. Polysaccharides from mushrooms do not attack cancer cells directly, but produce their antitumor effects by activating different immune responses in the host. The antitumor action of polysaccharides requires an intact T-cell component; their activity is mediated through a thymus-dependent immune mechanism. Practical application is dependent not only on biological properties, but also on biotechnological availability. The present review analyzes the pecularities of polysaccharides derived from fruiting bodies and cultured mycelium (the two main methods of biotechnological production today) in selected examples of medicinal mushrooms.     

植物多糖对巨噬细胞的免疫调节作用

植物多糖是一类广泛存在于植物中具有多种生物学活性的天然大分子物质,对免疫系统的影响普遍认为是通过对天然免疫系统的调节作用,尤其是对巨噬细胞免疫功能的影响. 许多研究表明,植物多糖与巨噬细胞表面多种受体结合启动不同信号途径而发挥生物学作用.本文综述了来源于不同种属的多种植物多糖对巨噬细胞释放活性氧、分泌细胞因子和趋化因子等的免疫调节作用,为新型免疫调节药物的研究开发提供了新的思路.     

The inhibition of boar acrosin amidase activity by sulfated polysaccharides

Carbohydrate-protein interactions are known to be important in gamete interactions. We therefore investigated the inhibition of boar sperm acrosin amidase activity by carbohydrates. The sulfated polysaccharides fucoidan and dextran sulfate inhibited amide hydrolysis whereas dextran and various monosaccharides did not inhibit acrosin amidase activity. The kinetics of the inhibition corresponded to those characteristic when multiple forms of an enzyme are present. Such a kinetic result was consistent with the presence of the known autolytically produced forms of acrosin. It was previously shown that sulfated polysaccharides inhibit sperm-egg binding and that acrosin binds carbohydrate. We propose that the sulfated polysaccharide inhibition of acrosin amidase activity observed here is causally related to the previously observed sulfated polysaccharide inhibition of sperm binding to the zona pellucida.     

Effect of Aloe vera polysaccharides on immunity and antioxidant activities in oral ulcer animal models

Aloe vera polysaccharides have traditionally been used in Asian cultures as medicinal plants to enhance immunity and reduce oxidative injury. The current investigation was conducted to examine the effects of A. vera polysaccharides on various in vivo parameters of innate immunity and antioxidant enzymes activities in oral ulcer animals. Forty wistar rats were randomly divided into the following 1 control group and 3 experimental groups (each group contained 10 rats). Rats in experimental groups were orally fed by A. vera polysaccharides. Rats in control group were orally fed by same volume of saline. The results showed that A. vera polysaccharides enhanced immunity activity and exerted antioxidant effects compared with vehicle controls. These results demonstrate, for the first time, that A. vera polysaccharides are effective in enhancing innate immunity and suppressing oxidative injury in oral ulcer animals.     

植物多糖抗衰老作用的研究进展

植物中存在许多天然活性多糖。由于生长环境不同,不同植物的多糖在结构和组成上有明显差异,但不同来源的植物多糖却具有相似的生物学活性,比如调节机体免疫功能、抑制肿瘤、抗衰老、抗病毒、降血脂、降血糖、抗氧化等。植物多糖抗衰老机制已成为植物多糖生物学活性研究中的热点之一。我们简要综述了国内外植物多糖抗衰老作用的研究进展。     

Chemically Sulfated Polysaccharides from Agaricus blazei Murill: Synthesis,Characterization and Anti-HIV Activity

AIDS, caused by HIV-1, is one of the most dangerous infectious diseases in the world. Therefore, it is necessary to develop new drugs with more potent bioactivities, less toxicity and higher tolerability for controlling the viral load, particularly by using the raw materials that are widely available. Agaricus blazei Murill (AbM), known in China as jisongrong, is of great importance as a food source and as a health-promoting supplement for immunomodulation. The polysaccharides of AbM exhibit various biological activities, such as regulating cellular immunity and providing anti-oxidative, anti-infective, and anti-inflammatory effects. At present, to our knowledge, no report has explored the chemically sulfated and anti-HIV-1 activity of AbM polysaccharides. Herein, the sulfated AbM polysaccharides with different sulfur contents were prepared by the chlorosulfonic acid-pyridine method. The characteristics of sulfated derivatives were established by the determination of the sulfur content, the relative molecular weight, and the Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The anti-HIV activities of the sulfated AbM polysaccharides were evaluated by CCK-8 and the single-cycle pseudovirus infection (TZM-bl) assay. The sulfated AbM polysaccharides had strong antiviral properties, and the half-maximal inhibitory concentrations approached that of the positive control, azidothymidine. Sulfated modification of AbM polysaccharides can increase their anti-HIV pharmacological activity, which makes them promising alternative candidates as bioactive macromolecules for biomedical applications in HIV/AIDS.     

灵芝子实体、菌丝体及孢子粉中多糖成分差异比较研究

为探讨灵芝子实体、菌丝体和孢子粉3种材料中多糖成分的差异,分别运用苯酚硫酸法进行多糖含量测定,运用离子色谱分析其酸水解后单糖组成,并运用HPLC分析各多糖图谱及经α-淀粉酶和β-1,3-葡聚糖酶处理后HPLC图谱的变化,结果发现,灵芝菌丝体中多糖含量最高,达到3.81%,孢子粉多糖含量为1.8%,灵芝子实体中多糖含量最低,仅为0.59%;水解后的单糖组成及摩尔比也有差异,子实体的单糖主要为葡萄糖和半乳糖,菌丝体和孢子粉的单糖主要为葡萄糖;HPLC图谱显示3种多糖出峰位置和分子量也不同,酶解效果表明多糖结构也相差较大。各样品多糖对小鼠巨噬细胞RAW264.7释放NO的产量的影响上,菌丝体与子实体多糖都表现出了很好的活性,而孢子粉多糖却呈现出较低活性。实验结果表明灵芝子实体、菌丝体和孢子粉3种材料的多糖成分差异大,在医药保健品使用中应区分使用。     

Current findings,future trends,and unsolved problems in studies of medicinal mushrooms

The target of the present review is to draw attention to many critically important unsolved problems in the future development of medicinal mushroom science in the twenty-first century. Special attention is paid to mushroom polysaccharides. Many, if not all, higher Basidiomycetes mushrooms contain biologically active polysaccharides in fruit bodies, cultured mycelium, and cultured broth. The data on mushroom polysaccharides are summarized for approximately 700 species of higher Hetero- and Homobasidiomycetes. The chemical structure of polysaccharides and its connection to antitumor activity, including possible ways of chemical modification, experimental testing and clinical use of antitumor or immunostimulating polysaccharides, and possible mechanisms of their biological action, are discussed. Numerous bioactive polysaccharides or polysaccharide–protein complexes from medicinal mushrooms are described that appear to enhance innate and cell-mediated immune responses and exhibit antitumor activities in animals and humans. Stimulation of host immune defense systems by bioactive polymers from medicinal mushrooms has significant effects on the maturation, differentiation, and proliferation of many kinds of immune cells in the host. Many of these mushroom polymers were reported previously to have immunotherapeutic properties by facilitating growth inhibition and destruction of tumor cells. While the mechanism of their antitumor actions is still not completely understood, stimulation and modulation of key host immune responses by these mushroom polymers appears central. Particularly and most importantly for modern medicine are polysaccharides with antitumor and immunostimulating properties. Several of the mushroom polysaccharide compounds have proceeded through phases I, II, and III clinical trials and are used extensively and successfully in Asia to treat various cancers and other diseases. A total of 126 medicinal functions are thought to be produced by medicinal mushrooms and fungi including antitumor, immunomodulating, antioxidant, radical scavenging, cardiovascular, antihypercholesterolemia, antiviral, antibacterial, antiparasitic, antifungal, detoxification, hepatoprotective, and antidiabetic effects.     

Anticancer polysaccharides from natural resources: A review of recent research

Taking into account the rising trend of the incidence of cancers of various organs, effective therapies are urgently needed to control human malignancies. However, almost all of the chemotherapy drugs currently on the market cause serious side effects. Fortunately, several previous studies have shown that some non-toxic biological macromolecules, including polysaccharides and polysaccharide-protein complexes, possess anti-cancer activities or can increase the efficacy of conventional chemotherapy drugs. Based on these encouraging observations, a great deal of effort has been focused on discovering anti-cancer polysaccharides and complexes for the development of effective therapeutics for various human cancers. This review focuses on the advancements in the anti-cancer efficacy of various natural polysaccharides and polysaccharide complexes in the past 5 years. Most polysaccharides were tested using model systems, while several involved clinical trials.     

Preparation and the antitumor activity in vitro of polysaccharides from Tricholoma matsutake

Tricholoma matsutake is the most valuable mushroom exhibiting a characteristic and delicate flavor as well as several biological activities among the various mushroom species. Extraction procedure and antitumor activity of polysaccharides from Tricholoma matsutake mycelium were studied in this work. Single factor tests and Response Surface Methodology (RSM) based on a three-level three-factor Box-Behnken design were applied to optimize the water extraction conditions. The polysaccharides yields increased when the ratio of water to sample increased from 10:1 to 30:1, extraction time from 1 to 4 h and temperature from 60 to 90°C as invested in single factor tests. To enhance further polysaccharides extraction, the extraction conditions were studied with RSM. The optimum extraction conditions were confirmed as follows:extraction time 4.3 h, the ratio of water to sample 29.2:1, extraction temperature 93.8°C. The extraction rate of polysaccharides under this condition could reach the highest value of 18.43% with one time extraction, and, 21.63% with two times extraction. Furthermore, the polysaccharides presented significant antitumor activity against B16 human melanoma cells in vitro in a dose-dependent manner. At the concentration of 10 mg/ml, the inhibition rate of polysaccharides got 67%.     

Changes in Morphology of J774.1 Macrophage-like Cells and Release of Prostaglandin E2 Induced by Bacterial Acidic Polysaccharides

In an attempt to finding polysaccharides with immunostimulating activity, we isolated 14 bacteria that produced polysaccharides from soil. The polysaccharides produced by these bacteria and by strains kept in this laboratory and commercial polysaccharides were tested for ability to activate J774.1 macrophage-like mouse cells. Acidic polysaccharides, especially those from the newly isolated bacteria, induced spreading of the cells and release of prostaglandin E₂ from the cells, which are manifestations of a state of activation. The prostaglandin E₂-releasing activity of the polysaccharides was 1/10 to 1/20 on a weight basis of that of Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide, a potent immunostimulant.     

多糖修饰物及其抗肿瘤作用机制研究

多糖是指一类由十个以上单糖分子通过糖苷键连接而成的糖类物质,因其具有许多重要的生物学活性而备受关注,这其中最为突出的是其在抗肿瘤方面所表现出的效用。目前多糖抗肿瘤方面的主要研究课题集中在如何进一步提高多糖的抗肿瘤活性上。对多糖分子进行结构上的修饰能够使其抗肿瘤的活性得到一定程度地提高。本文对常见的多糖修饰方法,如硫酸化、羧甲基化、磷酸化、硒化、乙酰化等进行了总结,对经修饰后所得产物的抗肿瘤作用的不同机制进行了阐述,并对多糖化学修饰物的应用前景进行了展望,为未来多糖的开发与利用提供一定的理论依据。     

抗补体活性多糖

补体系统在宿主免疫中具有重要的作用。近年来,由某些中药中纯化的多糖具有明显的抗补体作用。这些多糖大多数含有阿拉伯糖、半乳糖和半乳糖醛酸,分子量范围6.000到500.000。它们的结构很复杂,多为具聚鼠李半乳糖醛酸结构中心的酸性杂多糖和果胶类多糖。这些多糖的抗补体活性可能和整个大分子的结构有关。一旦发生降解活性就大为下降甚至消失。它们都可以经典的方式激活补体系统。大部分也可以改变的方式激活补体系统。     

The isolation, preliminary study of structure and physiological activity of water-soluble polysaccharides from squeezed berries of Snowball tree Viburnum opulus

Water-soluble polysaccharide fractions VO1-VO4 were isolated from the squeezed berries of snowball tree (Viburnum opulus) by successive extraction with water at various temperatures and pH and with aqueous solutions of ammonium oxalate. These fractions were purified by ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE cellulose, and the homogeneity of the purified polysaccharides was determined by gel filtration on Sephacryl S-500. Acidic polysaccharides close to pectins in their sugar composition were found in all the extracts (fractions VO1-1, VO2-1, VO3-2, and VO4-2). Residues of galacturonic acid, galactose, arabinose, and (to a lesser extent) rhamnose are their main constituents. Neutral polysaccharides composed mainly of galactose and mannose residues were additionally found in fractions extracted with acidified water (pH 4.0) and with aqueous ammonium oxalate solutions. Partial acidic hydrolysis and digestion with pectinase of acidic polysaccharides indicated that their carbohydrate backbone consists of alpha-1,4-linked residues of D-galacturonic acid. NMR spectra of acidic polysaccharides (fractions VO3-2 and VO3-3) confirmed this and demonstrated that their side oligosaccharide chains are composed of beta-1,4-linked galactopyranose residues and of terminal and 2,5- and 3,5-substituted residues of alpha-arabinofuranose at a Gal: Ara ratio of 3:1. Some polysaccharides from V. opulus were found to possess an immunostimulating activity: they enhance phagocytosis, in particular, the phagocytic index and the secretion of lysosomal enzymes with peritoneal macrophages. Calcium ions were found to be necessary for the appearance of the stimulating effect of acidic polysaccharides from V. opulus.     

Golgi enzymes that synthesize plant cell wall polysaccharides: finding and evaluating candidates in the genomic era

Although the synthesis of cell wall polysaccharides is a critical process during plant cell growth and differentiation, many of the wall biosynthetic genes have not yet been identified. This review focuses on the synthesis of non-cellulosic matrix polysaccharides formed in the Golgi apparatus. Our consideration is limited to two types of plant cell wall biosynthetic enzymes: glycan synthases and glycosyltransferases. Classical means of identifying these enzymes and the genes that encode them rely on biochemical purification of enzyme activity to obtain amino acid sequence data that is then used to identify the corresponding gene. This type of approach is difficult, especially when acceptor substrates for activity assays are unavailable, as is the case for many enzymes. However, bioinformatics and functional genomics provide powerful alternative means of identifying and evaluating candidate genes. Database searches using various strategies and expression profiling can identify candidate genes. The involvement of these genes in wall biosynthesis can be evaluated using genetic, reverse genetic, biochemical, and heterologous expression methods. Recent advances using these methods are considered in this review.     

Glycogen, hyaluronate, and some other polysaccharides greatly enhance the formation of exolipase by Serratia marcescens.

Among 21 different polysaccharides tested, 5 greatly enhanced the spontaneous and cyclic AMP-induced formation of exolipase: glycogen, hyaluronate, laminarin, pectin B, and gum arabic. These polysaccharides have in common the tendency to form highly ordered networks because of the branching or helical arrangement, or both, of their molecules. None of the polysaccharides could be utilized by the cells as the sole carbon source. Strong lipid extraction of four different polysaccharides did not reduce their exolipase-enhancing efficacy. At a constant cell density the stimulation of exolipase formation by various concentrations of glycogen followed saturation kinetics, suggesting a limited number of "sites" for the glycogen to act. The active principle present in a solution of pectin was destroyed by degradation (beta-elimination) of the polymer. Hyaluronate lost its exolipase-enhancing activity by exhaustive hydrolysis with hyaluronidase but was resistant to proteinase K. Exopolysaccharide, isolated from growth medium of Serratia marcescens SM-6, enhanced the exolipase formation as efficiently as hyaluronate. The results of this work are discussed mainly in terms of the "detachment hypothesis."     

Biotechnical modification of carbohydrates

Abstract: An overview is given of various biotechnical carbohydrate modifications. Fermentation and bioconversion processes, based on carbohydrate substrates for production of mono-, di- and oligosaccharides and the microbial synthesis of various useful polysaccharides are discussed as well as the microbial/enzymatic hydrolysis of polysaccharides into valuable oligomers or di- and monomeric sugars.     

Polysaccharopeptides of Coriolus versicolor: physiological activity, uses, and production

The protein-bound polysaccharides or polysaccharopeptides produced by Coriolus versicolor are effective immunopotentiators, which are used to supplement the chemotherapy and radiotherapy of cancers and various infectious diseases. Antitumor activity of polysaccharopeptides has been documented. Several kinds of protein-bound polysaccharides have been shown to be produced by the white rot fungus, C. versicolor. Although some of these polymers are structurally distinct, they are not distinguishable in terms of their physiological activity. This review focuses on the physiologically active polysaccharopeptides of C. versicolor. In nature, C. versicolor occurs as a mushroom body, but the fungus can be grown as mycelial biomass in submerged culture in bioreactors. Mushrooms gathered in the wild, cultivated mushrooms, and the mycelial biomass of submerged culture are used to produce the polysaccharopeptides. Submerged cultures are typically carried out in batches lasting 5-7 days and at 25-27 degrees C. Hot water extraction of the biomass is used to recover the thermostable polysaccharopeptides that are concentrated, purified, and dried into a powder for medicinal use. In view of the documented physiological benefits of these compounds, extensive research is underway on the structure, composition, production methods, and use of new C. versicolor strains for producing the therapeutic biopolymers. Properties, physiological activity, recovery, and purification of the bioactive polysaccharopeptides are discussed.     

Polysaccharide lyases: recent developments as biotechnological tools

Polysaccharide lyases, which are polysaccharide cleavage enzymes, act mainly on anionic polysaccharides. Produced by prokaryote and eukaryote organisms, these enzymes degrade (1,4) glycosidic bond by a beta elimination mechanism and have unsaturated oligosaccharides as major products. New polysaccharides are cleaved only by their specific polysaccharide lyases. From anionic polysaccharides controlled degradations, various biotechnological applications were investigated. This review catalogues the degradation of bacterial, plant and animal polysaccharides (neutral and anionic) by this family of carbohydrate acting enzymes.