Hepatoprotective Effect Of Polysaccharides Research Articles

Lichen pectin-containing polysaccharide from Xanthoria elegans and its ability to effectively protect LX-2 cells from H2O2-induced oxidative damage

Xanthoria elegans, a drought-tolerant lichen, is the original plant of the traditional Chinese medicine “Shihua” and effectively treats a variety of liver diseases. However, thus far, the hepatoprotective effects of polysaccharides, the most important chemical constituents of X. elegans, have not been determined. The aim of this study was to screen the polysaccharide fraction for hepatoprotective activity by using free radical scavenging assays and a H2O2-induced Lieming Xu-2 cell (LX-2) oxidative damage model and to elucidate the chemical composition of the bioactive polysaccharide fraction. In the present study, three polysaccharide fractions (XEP-50, XEP-70 and XEP-90) were obtained from X. elegans by hot-water extraction, DEAE-cellulose anion exchange chromatography separation and ethanol gradient precipitation. Among the three polysaccharide fractions, XEP-70 exhibited the best antioxidant activity in free radical scavenging capacity and reducing power assays. Structural studies showed that XEP-70 was a pectin-containing heteropolysaccharide fraction that was composed mainly of (1 → 4)-linked and (1 → 4,6)-linked α-D-Glcp, (1 → 4)-linked α-D-GalpA, (1 → 2)-linked, (1 → 6)-linked and (1 → 2,6)-linked α-D-Manp, and (1 → 6)-linked and (1 → 2,6)-linked β-D-Galf. Furthermore, XEP-70 exhibited effectively protect LX-2 cells against H2O2-induced oxidative damage by enhancing cellular antioxidant capacity by activating the Nrf2/Keap1/ARE signaling pathway. Thus, XEP-70 has good potential to protect hepatic stellate cells against oxidative damage.

Flammulinavelutipes Polysaccharides Modulate Gut Microbiota and Alleviate Carbon Tetrachloride-Induced Hepatic Oxidative Injury in Mice

A carbon tetrachloride-induced acute liver injury mouse model is used to study the regulation of gut microbiota and hepatoprotective effect of polysaccharides from Flammulina velutipes (FVPs). The hepatoprotective effect of the FVPs leads to reduced levels of serum aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), total bile acid (TBA) content, and change in liver histopathology. Their anti-oxidant activity is exhibited by decreased levels of hepatic malonaldehyde (MDA) and protein carbonyl (PC) content and increased catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) content. The anti-inflammatory ability of the FVPs is reflected in a decrease in pro-inflammatory cytokines (including IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α). 16S rRNA sequencing shows that the FVPs change the composition of the gut microbiota. A subsequent metabolomics analysis of the gut bacteria (UHPLC–MS/MS-based) revealed that fatty acid biosynthesis, tryptophan metabolism, and metabolism of xenobiotics by cytochrome P450 play important roles in the hepatoprotective effect. This study provides a potential way to modulate gut microbiota and manage liver diseases using natural products.

Structural characterization and hepatoprotective effects of polysaccharides from Anoectochilus zhejiangensis.

Two new polysaccharides, AZP-1a and AZP-1d, with molecular weights of 3.41×104 and 4568Da, respectively, were extracted from Anoectochilus zhejiangensis and purified by column chromatography. Their structural characteristics were systematically explored and results indicated AZP-1a and AZP-1d shared a similar backbone consisted of→4)-Galp-(1→, →4)-Glcp-(1→, and →4,6)-Glcp-(1→, with a different terminal residue of Manp-(1→and Glcp-(1→, respectively. In vivo experiments showed that the crude polysaccharide of A. zhejiangensis (AZP) exhibited significant hepatoprotective effects, decreasing the serum levels of ALT, AST and LDH in CCl4-treated mice, reducing MDA content, promoting SOD and CAT activities, and increasing GSH level in liver. Further in vitro investigation exhibited that AZP, AZP-1a and AZP-1d effectively protected liver cells against CCl4-stimulated oxidative damage, while AZP-1a and AZP-1d functioned mainly through the activation of Nrf2 signaling pathway. Our results suggest that A. zhejiangensis polysaccharides can be applied as a potential resource for the development of hepatoprotective drugs.

Characterizations and hepatoprotective effect of polysaccharides from Mesona blumes against tetrachloride-induced acute liver injury in mice

Mesona blumes polysaccharide (MBP), a primary active component extracted from Mesona blumes, has a number of bioactivities. Nevertheless, hepatoprotective activity of MBP has been rarely reported. The purpose of this study is to investigate hepatoprotective effects of MBP on acute liver injury in mice. Results indicated that the MBP could remarkably decrease the increased levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in the serum caused by tetrachloride (CCl4) treatment (P < 0.05). Medium and high dose of MBP treatment (200 mg/kg body weight, 300 mg/kg body weight) not only prominently enhanced the levels of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, SOD) and non-enzyme antioxidants (glutathione, GSH) compared with CCl4-induced, but also dramatically decreased lipid peroxidation levels of liver tissues (P < 0.05). In addition, medium and high doses of MBP significantly enhanced the serum levels of IL-1β and TNF-α (P < 0.05). This study showed that MBP had hepatoprotective activity against acute liver injury caused by CCl4.

Purification, Preliminary Characterization and Hepatoprotective Effects of Polysaccharides from Dandelion Root.

In this study, purification, preliminary characterization and hepatoprotective effects of water-soluble polysaccharides from dandelion root (DRP) were investigated. Two polysaccharides, DRP1 and DRP2, were isolated from DRP. The two polysaccharides were α-type polysaccharides and didn’t contain protein. DRP1, with a molecular weight of 5695 Da, was composed of glucose, galactose and arabinose, whereas DRP2, with molecular weight of 8882 Da, was composed of rhamnose, galacturonic acid, glucose, galactose and arabinose. The backbone of DRP1 was mainly composed of (1→6)-linked-α-d-Glc and (1→3,4)-linked-α-d-Glc. DRP2 was mainly composed of (1→)-linked-α-d-Ara and (1→)-linked-α-d-Glc. A proof-of-concept study was performed to assess the therapeutic potential of DRP1 and DRP2 in a mouse model that mimics acetaminophen (APAP) -induced liver injury (AILI) in humans. The present study shows DRP1 and DRP2 could protect the liver from APAP-induced hepatic injury by activating the Nrf2-Keap1 pathway. These conclusions demonstrate that the DRP1 and DRP2 might be suitable as functional foods and natural drugs in preventing APAP-induced liver injury.

Characterizations and hepatoprotective effect of polysaccharides from Mori Fructus in rats with alcoholic-induced liver injury

Crude polysaccharides of Mori Fructus (MFPs) were found to have anti-inflammatory antioxidant, and immuno-enhancing activities. However, the structure of the polysaccharides was ambiguous and its holistic hepatic protection evaluation was defective. This study was conducted to illustrate the characterization of MFPs, and evaluate its hepatoprotective activities. The results found that MFPs contained 67.93±1.18% carbohydrates, 31.03±0.54% uronic acid, and little protein and sulfate. The average molecular weight was ranging from 112.2kDa to 181.9kDa. Monosaccharide component analysis indicated that MFPs was mainly composed of glucose, galacturonic acid, rhamnose and galactose. Both the acute and subacute alcoholic-induced liver injury animal models were adopted to evaluate the MFPs’s hepatoprotective activity. After administration of MFPs, both serological indexes (aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase) and hepatic indicators (glutathione, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and malondialdehyde) were improved by comparing with the non-MFPs group. The hepatic histopathology results also showed a prominent lipid degeneration and microvesicular steatosis attenuation in the MFPs groups. These outstanding hepatic protecting activities of MFPs might be related to its activation of ethanol dehydrogenase, elimination of free radicals and/or inhibition of lipid peroxidation capacities. MFPs could be important active substances for preventing and remedying liver injury.

Characterization, antioxidant activities and hepatoprotective effects of polysaccharides from pre-pressing separation Fuji apple peel

ABSTRACTCharacterization, antioxidant activities and hepatoprotective effects of polysaccharides from pre-pressing separation apple (Fuji) peel pomace were investigated in this study. Gel permeation chromatography indicated that apple peel polysaccharides (APPs) were a kind of heteropolysaccharides composed of three fractions with homogenous polarity. Both GC–MS and HPLC analysis showed that arabinose, galactose and galacturonic acid were the main monosaccharides in APP. In vitro antioxidant activities of APP were characterized. Furthermore, administration of APP (450 mg/kg bw) in mice significantly decreased the CCl4-induced elevations of serum alanine aminotransferase, asparate aminotransferase and lactic dehydrogenase activities, and hepatic malondialdehyde level and inhibited the decreases in superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities caused by CCl4. Histopathological observation further confirmed that APP could protect the liver tissues from CCl4-induced histological alternation. These findings indicate that APP has the antioxidant and hepatoprotective potentials and provide a scientific basis for comprehensive utilization of pre-pressing separation apple peel pomace.

Characterization and hepatoprotective effect of polysaccharides from Ziziphus jujuba Mill. var. spinosa (Bunge) Hu ex H. F. Chou sarcocarp

The polysaccharides from Ziziphus jujuba Mill. var. spinosa (Bunge) Hu ex H. F. Chou sarcocarp (PWJS) is evaluated for the chemical composition, antioxidant activity and hepatoprotective effect. The characteristics of PWJS were determined by FT-IR spectral and HPLC analysis. The antioxidant activity was investigated using in vitro systems. An in vivo study of PWJS against CCl4 induced liver injury was also conducted. HPLC analysis showed that PWJS is an acidic heteropolysaccharide, rich in glucose (38.59%), arabinose (23.16%), galacturonic acid (17.64%) and galactose (10.44%). PWJS displayed strong antioxidant activity in vitro. In the in vivo study, PWJS treatment lowered the serum levels of ALT and AST in CCl4-intoxicated mice. Additionally, levels of antioxidant enzymes (SOD and CAT) and GSH were elevated in liver damage mice by PWJS intervention, while content of MDA was lessened. Meanwhile, PWJS reverses the suppression of Nrf2 nuclear translocation, and increases the protein expression of HO-1, GSTα and NQO1 in liver damage mice. Hematoxylin-eosin staining showed that the condition of liver damage was mitigated. This study demonstrates that PWJS reverses hepatotoxicity in CCl4-intoxicated mice through the mechanisms of antioxidant activity, as well as an augmentation of the Nrf2 pathway in liver tissue.

Hypoglycemic and hepatoprotective effects of polysaccharides from Artemisia sphaerocephala Krasch seeds

Intake of dietary high fructose (HF) exerts a number of adverse metabolic effects. The present study was to investigate whether Artemisia sphaerocephala Krasch seed polysaccharides (ASKP) alleviated hyperglycemia, hepatic steatosis and oxidative injury in mice fed HF water. After 8 weeks of the experiment, administration of ASKP at 400 and 800mg/kgbw significantly reduced the fasting serum glucose, insulin concentrations and the homeostasis model assessment of basal insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) of the mice fed 20% HF water. In the oral glucose tolerance test, the administration of ASKP at 400 and 800mg/kgbw had a reduced plasma glucose concentrations after 15min of glucose loading in HF-fed mice, indicating that ASKP improved glucose intolerance. ASKP also remarkably ameliorated the HF-induced elevation of liver lipid contents and oxidative injury in mice, and caused the reduction of liver lipid peroxidation and the elevation of hepatic antioxidant system. Histopathology of the liver by conventional H&E and Oil Red O staining confirmed the liver steatosis and oxidative injury induced by HF diet and the hepatoprotective effect of ASKP. This is the first report showing that ASKP can ameliorate the high fructose-induced hyperglycemia, hepatic steatosis and oxidative injury.

Metabonomics study on the hepatoprotective effect of polysaccharides from different preparations of Angelica sinensis

Ethnopharmacological relevanceAngelica sinensis (AS) has been used for thousands of years in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Processed products of AS mainly include charred Angelica, parching Angelica with oil, parching Angelica with wine, and parching Angelica with soil, which have been widely used in TCM prescriptions. Polysaccharides are important chemical substances of AS. These compounds effectively treat liver diseases, shows hepatoprotectivity, and contributes directly to the therapeutic effect of AS. However, the precise molecular mechanism of the effects of the different AS products polysaccharide has not been comprehensively explored. The present investigation was designed to assess the effects and possible mechanisms of polysaccharide in the different AS products against carbon tetrachloride-induced liver injury. Materials and methodsLiver injury was induced by intraperitoneal injection with Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) in the mice. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) combined with pattern recognition approaches, namely, principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), were used to determine differentiating metabolites in plasma and liver tissue. ResultsPCA and PLS-DA score plots of the liver injury group clustered separately from that of the control, while groups treated with polysaccharides from charred AS (ASTP), parching AS with soil (ASTUP), parching AS with wine (ASJP), parching AS with Sesame Oil (ASYP) clustered closely with the control. This result indicates that the metabolic profiles of the ASTP, ASTUP, ASJP, and ASYP groups are almost similar to those of the control. Potential metabolite biomarkers (six in the liver homogenates and seven in the plasma) were identified. These biomarkers include citric acid, succinic acid,glycine, palmitelaidic acid, arachidonic acid, fumaric acid, malic acid, valine, ananine, and hexadecanoic acid. Functional pathway analysis revealed that alterations in these metabolites are associated with lipid, amino acid, and energy metabolism. Notably, ASTP exhibited a potential pharmacological effect by regulating multiple perturbed pathways to the normal state. ConclusionIt is likely that ASTP, ASTUP, ASJP, ASYP intervenes the metabolic process of liver injury mice by affecting the lipid and amino acid metabolism. Metabonomics is a robust and promising for the identification of biomarkers and elucidation of the mechanisms of a disease, thereby highlighting its importance in drug discovery.

Hepatoprotective effect of polysaccharides from Boschniakia rossica on carbon tetrachloride-induced toxicity in mice

The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective effect of polysaccharides from Boschniakia rossica against hepatotoxicity induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4). Boschniakia rossica polysaccharides was administered intragastrically once daily for 7 days. One hour after the final treatment, mice were treated intraperitoneally with 80 mg/kg of CCl4. CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity was manifested by increased levels of serum marker enzymes and hepatic lipid peroxidation, and by decreased potential of hepatic antioxidative defense system. CCl4 challenge also resulted in elevated serum tumor necrosis factor-α and hepatic nitric oxide level, and up-regulation of inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 proteins of liver tissue. Pretreatment of mice with Boschniakia rossica polysaccharides reversed these altered parameters of mice with liver injury induced by CCl4. Furthermore, caspase-3 cleavage and activities, and DNA fragmentation of liver in mice treated with Boschniakia rossica polysaccharides were decreased than mice treated with CCl4 alone. Hepatoprotective effect of Boschniakia rossica polysaccharides was further demonstrated by histopathological examination of liver sections. The results indicate that Boschniakia rossica polysaccharides play a protective role in CCl4-induced acute liver injury and the hepatoprotective effect of Boschniakia rossica polysaccharides may be due to elevated antioxidative defense potentials, suppressed inflammatory responses and apoptosis of liver tissue.

Optimization of extraction, preliminary characterization and hepatoprotective effects of polysaccharides from Stachys floridana Schuttl. ex Benth

Optimization of extraction, preliminary characterization and hepatoprotective activity of polysaccharides from Stachys flordana Schuttl. ex Benth. (SFPS) were investigated in the present study. Firstly, the optimal conditions for extraction of SFPS were obtained by a Box-Behnken design as follows: extraction temperature 94 °C, extracting time 4 h and ratio of water to material 19 mg/ml. Then, the analysis of monosaccharide composition by gas chromatography revealed that SFPS was composed of rhamnose, arabinose, glucose and galactose in a molar percent of 2.05, 9.16, 28.66 and 60.14, respectively. Finally, we demonstrated that SFPS had a significant protective effect against acute hepatotoxicity induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) in mice, as evident by lower levels of serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase and hepatic malondialdehyde, higher activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase, as well as higher reduced glutathione concentration compared to the CCl4-treated group. The results suggested that SFPS could be explored as novel natural supplement.