Polysaccharide composition of an anticoagulant fraction from the aqueous extract of Marsypianthes chamaedrys (Lamiaceae)

Marsypianthes chamaedrys (Lamiaceae) is a medicinal plant popularly used against envenomation by snakebite. Pharmacological studies have shown that extracts of M. chamaedrys have antiophidic, anti-inflammatory and anticoagulant properties, supporting the ethnopharmacological use. In this study, an aqueous extract of aerial parts of M. chamaedrys showed anticoagulant activity in the activated partial thromboplastin time assay (0.54 IU/mg). The bioassay-guided fractionation using ethanol precipitation and gel filtration chromatography on Sephadex G-50 and Sephadex G-25 resulted in a water-soluble fraction with increased anticoagulant activity (Fraction F2−A; 2.94 IU/mg). A positive correlation was found between the amount of uronic acids and the anticoagulant potential of the active samples. Chemical and spectroscopic analyses indicated that F2−A contained homogalacturonan, type I rhamnogalacturonan, type II arabinogalactan and α-glucan. UV and FT–IR spectra indicated the possible presence of ferulic acid. Pectic polysaccharides and type II arabinogalactans may be contributing to the anticoagulant activity of the aqueous extract of M. chamaedrys in the APTT assay. •The decoction of aerial parts of Marsypianthes chamaedrys prolonged APTT (0.54 IU/mg).•Bioassay-guided fractionation employed ethanol precipitation and Sephadex gels.•A fraction with marked anticoagulant activity was obtained (2.94 IU/mg).•This polysaccharide-enriched fraction was characterized by NMR, UV, FT-IR and HPSEC.•Pectins (HG, RG-I), AG-II and α-glucan were identified in the anticoagulant fraction.