Volume 125, 10 July 2015, Pages 314–322
Structure–activity relationship of immunomodulating pectins from elderberries
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Highlights
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- Immunomodulating polysaccharides were isolated from the berries of Sambucus nigra.
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- Structural characterizations of pectins from elderberries are reported.
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- Reduction of arabinose and side chains complexity influenced the bioactivities.
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- Ramified regions are important for macrophage stimulation and complement fixation.
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- LPS seems to have minor impact on NO production observed in active fractions.
Abstract
The berries of Sambucus nigra
have traditionally been used and are still used to treat respiratory
illnesses such as cold and flu in Europe, Asia and America. The aim of
this paper was to elucidate the structures and the immunomodulating
properties of the pectic polymers from elderberries. All the purified
fractions obtained from 50% ethanol, 50 °C water and 100 °C water
extracts showed potent dose-dependent complement fixating activity and
macrophage stimulating activity. The isolated fractions consisted of
long homogalacturonan regions, in addition to arabinogalactan-I and
arabinogalactan-II probably linked to a rhamnogalacturonan backbone.
Reduced bioactivity was observed after reduction of Araf
residues and 1→3,6 Gal by weak acid hydrolysis. The rhamnogalacturonan
region in SnBe50-I-S3-I and SnBe50-I-S3-II showed higher activity
compared to the native polymer, SnBe50-S3, after enzymatic treatment
with endo-α-d-(1→4)-polygalacturonase.
These results indicated that elderberries contained immunomodulating
polysaccharides, where the ramified regions express the activities
observed.
Abbreviations
- AG-I, arabinogalactan type I;
- AG-II, arabinogalactan type II;
- AH, acid hydrolysis;
- Ara, arabinose;
- EtOH, ethanol;
- Gal, galactose;
- GalA, galacturonic acid;
- Glc, glucose;
- GlcA, glucuronic acid;
- KDO, 3-deoxy-d-manno-2-octulosonic acid;
- LPS, lipopolysaccharide;
- Man, mannose;
- Mw, molecular weight;
- RG-I, rhamnogalacturonan type I;
- RG-II, rhamnogalacturonan type II;
- Rha, rhamnose;
- XG, xylogalacturonan;
- Xyl, xylose
Keywords
- Sambucus nigra;
- Immunological activity;
- Pectic polysaccharides;
- Complement system;
- Macrophage stimulation;
- LPS
- Corresponding author. Tel.:
+47 22856015; fax: +47 22854402.