Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Structural characterization and biological activities of two α-glucans from Radix Paeoniae Alba

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Glycoconjugate Journal Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Radix Paeoniae Alba is widely used in Chinese traditional medicine to treat various diseases such as gastrointestinal disorders, cancer, and other diseases. In this study, two polysaccharides RPAPW1 and RPAPW2 were isolated from Radix Paeoniae Alba by DEAE-52 cellulose chromatography and G-25 sephadex. According to physicochemical methods, NMR and methylation analysis, RPAPW1 and RPAPW2 were established to be α-glucans consisting of predominant 4-linked α- Glc residues branched at O-6 and contained trace amount of protein and uronic acid. Immunological tests indicated that RPAPW1, RPAPW2 and could promote splenocyte proliferation and RAW264.7 phagocytic activity. In vitro, RPAPW1 and RPAPW2 elicited a week reducing power, DPPH scavenging activity and could not protect the PC12 cells from H2O2 damage. These data implied polysaccharides RPAPW1 and RPAPW2 had the potential to be a natural immunopotentiating and antioxidant supplement for preparing functional foods and nutraceuticals.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Sucher, N.J.: Insights from molecular investigations of traditional Chinese herbal stroke medicines: Implications for neuroprotective epilepsy therapy. Epilepsy Behav. 8(2), 350–362 (2006)

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Ernst, E.: Complementary and alternative medicine in neurology: hype, hope and hazards. Trends Neurosci. 25(12), 644–645 (2002)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Tindle, H.A., Davis, R.B., Phillips, R.S., Eisenberg, D.M.: Trends in use of complementary and alternative medicine by US adults: 1997–2002. Altern. Ther. Health Med. 11(1), 42–49 (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  4. Fang, Y.S., Shan, D.M., Liu, J.W., Xu, W., Li, C.L., Wu, H.Z., Ji, G.: Effect of constituents from Fructus Aurantii Immaturus and Radix Paeoniae Alba on gastrointestinal movement. Planta Med. 75(1), 24–31 (2009)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. He, D.Y., Dai, S.M.: Anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects of Paeonia lactiflora Pall., a traditional Chinese herbal medicine. Front. Pharmacol. 2, 10 (2011)

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  6. Ou, T.T., Wu, C.H., Hsu, J.D., Chyau, C.C., Lee, H.J., Wang, C.J.: Paeonia lactiflora Pall inhibits bladder cancer growth involving phosphorylation of Chk2 in vitro and in vivo. J. Ethnopharmacol. 135(1), 162–172 (2011)

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Kwon, K.B., Kim, E.K., Han, M.J., Shin, B.C., Park, Y.K., Kim, K.S., Lee, Y.R., Park, J.W., Park, B.H., Ryu, D.G.: Induction of apoptosis by Radix Paeoniae Alba extract through cytochrome c release and the activations of caspase-9 and caspase-3 in HL-60 cells. Biol. Pharm. Bull. 29(6), 1082–1086 (2006)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Li, B., Qi, L.W., Wen, X.D., Cao, J., Li, P., Zeng, J.X., Yang, H., Zhao, J., Hu, R.: Rapid and sensitive analysis of tannins and monoterpene glycosides in radix Paeoniae alba products by HPLC-MS. J. Liq. Chromatogr. R. T. 32(15), 2232–2245 (2009)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Zhou, X., Chen, X.M., Ge, L., Gong, H.Y., Tian, S., An, D.: Rapid determination of paeoniflorin from Paeonia sinjiang K. Y. Pan. by rapid resolution liquid chromatography. Pharmacogn. Mag. 6(22), 98–101 (2010)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  10. Kardošová, A., Machová, E.: Antioxidant activity of medicinal plant polysaccharides. Fitoterapia 77(5), 367–373 (2006)

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Schepetkin, I.A., Quinn, M.T.: Botanical polysaccharides: macrophage immunomodulation and therapeutic potential. Int. Immunopharmacol. 6(3), 317–333 (2006)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Krifa, M., Bouhlel, I., Ghedira-Chekir, L., Ghedira, K.: Immunomodulatory and cellular anti-oxidant activities of an aqueous extract of Limoniastrum guyonianum gall. J. Ethnopharmacol. 146(1), 243–249 (2013)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Simas-Tosin, F.F., Abud, A.P., De Oliveira, C.C., Gorin, P.A., Sassaki, G.L., Bucchi, D.F., Iacomini, M.: Polysaccharides from peach pulp: structure and effects on mouse peritoneal macrophages. Food Chem. 134(4), 2257–2260 (2012)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Zhang, W., Song, D., Xu, D., Wang, T., Chen, L., Duan, J.: Characterization of polysaccharides with antioxidant and immunological activities from Rhizoma Acori Tatarinowii. Carbohydr. Polym. 133, 154–162 (2015)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Duan, J., Wang, X., Dong, Q., Fang, J.-N., Li, X.: Structural features of a pectic arabinogalactan with immunological activity from the leaves of Diospyros kaki. Carbohydr. Res. 338(12), 1291–1297 (2003)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Zhang, W., Mu, H., Zhang, A., Cui, G., Chen, H., Duan, J., Wang, S.: A decrease in moisture absorption–retention capacity of N-deacetylation of hyaluronic acid. Glycoconj. J. 30(6), 577–583 (2013)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Masuko, T., Minami, A., Iwasaki, N., Majima, T., Nishimura, S.I., Lee, Y.C.: Carbohydrate analysis by a phenol–sulfuric acid method in microplate format. Anal. Biochem. 339(1), 69–72 (2005)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Blumenkrantz, N., Asboe-Hansen, G.: New method for quantitative determination of uronic acids. Anal. Biochem. 54(2), 484–489 (1973)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Bradford, M.M.: A rapid and sensitive method for the quantitation of microgram quantities of protein utilizing the principle of protein-dye binding. Anal. Biochem. 72(1), 248–254 (1976)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Honda, S., Akao, E., Suzuki, S., Okuda, M., Kakehi, K., Nakamura, J.: High-performance liquid chromatography of reducing carbohydrates as strongly ultraviolet-absorbing and electrochemically sensitive 1-phenyl-3-methyl5-pyrazolone derivatives. Anal. Biochem. 180(2), 351–357 (1989)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Fujita, S., Yamamoto, H., Sugimoto, Y., Morita, N., Yamamori, M.: Thermal and crystalline properties of waxy wheat (Triticum aestivumL.) starch. J. Cereal Sci. 27(1), 1–5 (1998)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Needs, P., Selvendran, R.: Avoiding oxidative degradation during sodium hydroxide/methyl iodide-mediated carbohydrate methylation in dimethyl sulfoxide. Carbohydr. Res. 245(1), 1–10 (1993)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Sweet, D.P., Shapiro, R.H., Albersheim, P.: Quantitative analysis by various GLC response-factor theories for partially methylated and partially ethylated alditol acetates. Carbohydr. Res. 40(2), 217–225 (1975)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Zhao, T., Mao, G., Feng, W., Mao, R., Gu, X., Li, T., Li, Q., Bao, Y., Yang, L., Wu, X.: Isolation, characterization and antioxidant activity of polysaccharide from Schisandra sphenanthera Carbohydr. Polym. 105, 26–33 (2014)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Baldanzi, G., Filigheddu, N., Cutrupi, S., Catapano, F., Bonissoni, S., Fubini, A., Malan, D., Baj, G., Granata, R., Broglio, F.: Ghrelin and des-acyl ghrelin inhibit cell death in cardiomyocytes and endothelial cells through ERK1/2 and PI 3-kinase/AKT. J. Cell Biol. 159(6), 1029–1037 (2002)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  26. Li, X., Zhao, L., Zhang, Q., Xiong, Q., Jiang, C.: Purification, characterization and bioactivity of polysaccharides from Glossaulax didyma. Carbohydr. Polym. 102, 912–919 (2014)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Zhang, W.X., Sun, F.F., Niu, H., Wang, Q.J., Duan, J.Y.: Mechanistic insights into cellular immunity of chondroitin sulfate A and its zwitterionic N-deacetylated derivatives. Carbohydr. Polym. 123, 331–338 (2015)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Estevinho, L., Pereira, A.P., Moreira, L., Dias, L.G., Pereira, E.: Antioxidant and antimicrobial effects of phenolic compounds extracts of Northeast Portugal honey. Food Chem. Toxicol. 46(12), 3774–3779 (2008)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Wang, Y., Yang, Z., Wei, X.: Antioxidant activities potential of tea polysaccharide fractions obtained by ultra filtration. Int. J. Biol. Macromol. 50(3), 558–564 (2012)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Lee, S.M., Yoon, M.Y., Park, H.R.: Protective effects of Paeonia lactiflora pall on hydrogen peroxide-induced apoptosis in PC12 cells. Biosci. Biotechnol. Biochem. 72(5), 1272–1277 (2008)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Duan, J.Y., Kasper, D.L.: Oxidative depolymerization of polysaccharides by reactive oxygen/nitrogen species. Glycobiology 21(4), 401–409 (2011)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  32. Hounsell, E.F.: 1 H NMR in the structural and conformational analysis of oligosaccharides and glycoconjugates. Prog. Nucl. Magn. Reson. Spectrosc. 27(5), 445–474 (1995)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Hu, X.Q., Huang, Y.Y., Dong, Q.F., Song, L.Y., Yuan, F., Yu, R.M.: Structure characterization and antioxidant activity of a novel polysaccharide isolated from pulp tissues of Litchi chinensis. J. Agric. Food Chem. 59(21), 11548–11552 (2011)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Wu, W., Zhu, Y., Zhang, L., Yang, R., Zhou, Y.: Extraction, preliminary structural characterization, and antioxidant activities of polysaccharides from Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge. Carbohydr. Polym. 87(2), 1348–1353 (2012)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Kacurakova, M., Capek, P., Sasinkova, V., Wellner, N., Ebringerova, A.: FT-IR study of plant cell wall model compounds: pectic polysaccharides and hemicelluloses. Carbohydr. Polym. 43(2), 195–203 (2000)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Chen, X., Nie, W., Fan, S., Zhang, J., Wang, Y., Lu, J., Jin, L.: A polysaccharide from Sargassum fusiforme protects against immunosuppression in cyclophosphamide-treated mice. Carbohydr. Polym. 90(2), 1114–1119 (2012)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Gordon, S.: Pattern recognition receptors: doubling up for the innate immune response. Cell 111(7), 927–930 (2002)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Zhao, C., Li, M., Luo, Y., Wu, W.: Isolation and structural characterization of an immunostimulating polysaccharide from fuzi, Aconitum carmichaeli. Carbohydr. Res. 341(4), 485–491 (2006)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Cerqueira, F., Cordeiro-Da-Silva, A., Gaspar-Marques, C., Simoes, F., Pinto, M., Nascimento, M.: Effect of abietane diterpenes from Plectranthus grandidentatus on T-and B-lymphocyte proliferation. Bioorg. Med. Chem. 12(1), 217–223 (2004)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Methacanon, P., Madla, S., Kirtikara, K., Prasitsil, M.: Structural elucidation of bioactive fungi-derived polymers. Carbohydr. Polym. 60(2), 199–203 (2005)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Son, C.G., Han, S.H., Cho, J.H., Shin, J.W., Cho, C.H., Lee, Y.W., Cho, C.K.: Induction of hemopoiesis by saenghyuldan, a mixture of Ginseng radix, Paeoniae radix alba, and Hominis placenta extracts. Acta Pharmacol. Sin. 24(2), 120–126 (2003)

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Lin, S.J., Tsai, J.H., Tsai, C.H., Lin, Y.C., Hsu, H.T., Xu, F.L., Yang, C.C.: The In vivo effects of cytokines modulation for BALB/C mice Fed with a traditional combined Chinese herb‐soaked solution, Yi‐Fey Ruenn‐Hou Tea. Immunopharmacol. Immunotoxicol. 26(3), 435–444 (2004)

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  43. Li, J., Peng, C., Ji, J.: Mechanism study of action on compatible using of total alkaloids of Radix Aconiti Praeparata and total glycosides or polysaccharides of Radix Paeoniae Alba therapy on rheumatoid arthritis in rats. China J. Chin. Mater. Med. 34(22), 2937–2942 (2009)

    Google Scholar 

  44. Lai, F., Wen, Q., Li, L., Wu, H., Li, X.: Antioxidant activities of water-soluble polysaccharide extracted from mung bean (Vigna radiata L.) hull with ultrasonic assisted treatment. Carbohydr. Polym. 81(2), 323–329 (2010)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  45. Butterfield, D.A., Perluigi, M., Sultana, R.: Oxidative stress in Alzheimer’s disease brain: new insights from redox proteomics. Eur. J. Pharmacol. 545(1), 39–50 (2006)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  46. Muller, F.L., Lustgarten, M.S., Jang, Y., Richardson, A., Van Remmen, H.: Trends in oxidative aging theories. Free Radic. Biol. Med. 43(4), 477–503 (2007)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  47. Zou, C., Du, Y.M., Li, Y., Yang, J.H., Feng, T., Zhang, L., Kennedy, J.F.: Preparation of lacquer polysaccharide sulfates and their antioxidant activity in vitro. Carbohydr. Polym. 73(2), 322–331 (2008)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  48. Fenglin, H., Ruili, L., Liang, M.: Free radical scavenging activity of extracts prepared from fresh leaves of selected Chinese medicinal plants. Fitoterapia 75(1), 14–23 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  49. Zhang, L., Zhang, W., Wang, Q., Wang, D., Dong, D., Mu, H., Ye, X.S., Duan, J.: Purification, antioxidant and immunological activities of polysaccharides from Actinidia Chinensis roots. Int. J. Biol. Macromol. 72, 975–983 (2015)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  50. Guan, S., Bao, Y.M., Jiang, B., An, L.J.: Protective effect of protocatechuic acid from Alpinia oxyphylla on hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative PC12 cell death. Eur. J. Pharmacol. 538(1), 73–79 (2006)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  51. Xue, H.Y., Gao, G.Z., Lin, Q.Y., Jin, L.J., Xu, Y.P.: Protective effects of aucubin on H2O2‐induced apoptosis in PC12 cells. Phytother. Res. 26(3), 369–374 (2012)

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University (NCET-13-0480) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) [Grant 31270860].

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of science, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China

    Wuxia Zhang, Dan Song, Hong Niu & Jinyou Duan

  2. College of life science, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China

    Peng Li

  3. Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China

    Songshan Shi & Shunchun Wang

Authors
  1. Wuxia Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Peng Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Dan Song
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Hong Niu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Songshan Shi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Shunchun Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Jinyou Duan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Shunchun Wang or Jinyou Duan.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

We declare that we have no conflict of interest.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Zhang, W., Li, P., Song, D. et al. Structural characterization and biological activities of two α-glucans from Radix Paeoniae Alba . Glycoconj J 33, 147–157 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10719-015-9647-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10719-015-9647-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation