Rhamnogalacturonan from Ilex paraguariensis: A potential adjuvant in sepsis treatment

► An isolated polysaccharide (SPI) from Ilex paraguariensis was characterized as a rhamnogalacturonan. ► Via oral administration, SPI decreased the pro-inflammatory response. ► Also, SPI was able to prevent the lethality induced by sepsis in mice. The present study evaluated the anti-inflammatory activity of a polysaccharide from maté, using a clinically relevant model of sepsis induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). A polysaccharide from maté (SPI) was obtained from aqueous extraction followed by fractionation, being identified as a rhamnogalacturonan with a main chain of →4)-6-OMe-α-d-GalpA-(1→ groups, interrupted by α-l-Rhap units, substituted by a type I arabinogalactan. SPI was tested against induced-polymicrobial sepsis, at doses of 3, 7 and 10mg/kg. Via oral administration, SPI prevented the late mortality of infected mice by a rate of 60% at 10mg/kg, in comparison with untreated mice Dexamethasone, used as positive control, was slightly less effective, with an overall survival rate of 16.7% of mice at the end of the observation period. SPI also affected neutrophil influx, avoiding its accumulation in lungs, and significantly decreased tissue expression of iNOS and COX-2. In this context, maté is a potential nutraceutical, and its polysaccharide a promising adjuvant for sepsis treatment, being consumed as tea-like beverages with no related adverse effects.