Structural analysis, anti-infl ammatory activity of the main water-soluble acidic polysaccharides (AGBP-A3) from Panax quinquefolius L berry

Background: Panax quinquefolius L, widely recognized for its valuable contributions to medicine, has arousedconsiderable attention globally. Different from the extensive research has been dedicated to the root ofP. quinquefolius, its berry has received relatively scant focus. Given its promising medicinal properties, this studywas focused on the structural characterizations and anti-inflammatory potential of acidic polysaccharides fromthe P. quinquefolius berry. Materials and methods: P. quinquefolius berry was extracted with hot water, precipitated by alcohol, separated byDEAE-52-cellulose column to give a series of fractions. One of these fractions was further purified via SephadexG-200 column to give three fractions. Then, the main fraction named as AGBP-A3 was characterized bymethylation analysis, NMR spectroscopy, etc. Its anti-inflammatory activity was assessed by RAW 264.7 cellmodel, zebrafish model and molecular docking. Results: The main chain comprised of α-L-Rhap, α-D-GalAp and β-D-Galp, while the branch consisted mainly ofα-L-Araf, β-D-Glcp, α-D-GalAp, β-D-Galp. The RAW264.7 cell assay results showed that the inhibition ratesagainst IL-6 and IL-1β secretion at the concentration of 625 ng/mL were 24.83 %, 11.84 %, while the inhibitionrate against IL-10 secretion was 70.17 % at the concentration of 312 ng/mL. In the zebrafish assay, the migratingneutrophils were significantly reduced in number, and their migration to inflammatory tissues was inhibited. Molecular docking predictions correlated well with the results of the anti-inflammatory assay. Conclusion: The present study demonstrated the structure of acidic polysaccharides of P. quinquefolius berry andtheir effect on inflammation, providing a reference for screening anti-inflammatory drugs. KCI Citation Count: 0