Immunostimulatory polysaccharides from the hot water extracts of prickled broom (P. tridentatum (L.) Willk) dried inflorescences Artigo de Conferência uri icon

resumo

  • The decoctions of prickled broom (Pterospartum trídentatum (L.) Willk.) dried inflorescences have claimed beneficial properties for various health disorders [1, 2]. These can be assigned to several constituents, among them, the polysacharides. In order to unveil the contribution of the polysacharides and their structural features to the modulation of the innate immune activity, the hot water extracts from P. tridentatum dried inflorescences were prepared and fractionated by ethanol precipitation and anion exchange chromatography. A fraction that mainly contained pectic polysaccharides and acetylated galactomannans was isolated. This fraction evidenced in vitro immunostimulatory activity without compromising cellular viability, as evidenced by the increase registered in the nitric oxide (NO) production by macrophages. This activity decreased 60-75% after saponification, confirming that acetylation is an important structural feature for this biological property. In addition, the treatment of pectic polysaccharides with endo-polygalacturonase showed that type-1 and type-11 arabinogalactans, as well as low molecular weight galacturonans and xyloglucans, may also contribute to macrophage NO production. Thus, the polysaccharides present in the dried inflorescences of P. trídentatum may contribute to the health beneficial properties frequently attributed to the decoctions of this plant.

data de publicação

  • janeiro 1, 2017