Suchergebnisse

In Trás-os-Montes region (Portugal), the small shrub (Pterospartum tridentatum), the narrow-leafed ash (Fraxinus angustifolia), and the apple mint (Mentha suaveolens) are vegetable species used in the preparation of infusions for medicinal purposes, such as protection against diabetes, hypertension, high levels of cholesterol and uric acid [1]. These infusions contain several types of polysaccharides, such as pectic polysaccharides and galactomannans (GM´s), often reported as immunomodulators [2, 3]. Pectic polysaccharides are structurally complex polymers, exhibiting different polymeric building blocks: homogalacturonans (HG), type I rhamnogalacturonans (RG-I), type II rhamnogalacturonans (RG-II) and xylogalacturonans (XG) [4]. The backbone of RG-I can be partly substituted with, among others, type-II arabinogalactans (AG-I ) that form ramified regions responsible for the modulation of the immune response [2]. For GM´s, factors like chain length, degree of branching and degree of acetylation seem to influence their immunomodulating activity [3]. ; Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal), European Union, QREN, FEDER, and COMPETE for funding the QOPNA (project PEst-C/QUI/UI0062/2013; FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-037296) and CIMO research units

Pterospartum tridentatum (L.) Willk. decoctions of dried inflorescences are used in Portugal due to their claimed beneficial properties for various health disorders. To disclose the potential contribution of its polysaccharides to health benefits, in this work, hot water extracts from P. tridentatum inflorescences were prepared and fractionated by ethanol precipitation and anion exchange chromatography. The fraction rich in acetylated galactomannans evidenced an increase in 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-I and type-II arabinogalactans, as well as low molecular weight galacturonans and xyloglucans, may also contribute to macrophage NO production. Thus, the polysaccharides present in P. tridentatum dried inflorescences may contribute to the health beneficial properties frequently attributed to the decoctions of this plant. ; Thanks are due to Fundac¸ ão para a Ciência e a Tecnologia(FCT, Portugal), European Union, QREN, FEDER, and COMPETEfor funding the QOPNA (Project PEst-C/QUI/UI0062/2013; FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-037296), CNC (Project UID/NEU/04539/2013), andCIMO Research Units, and RNEM (REDE/1504/REM/2005 thatconcerns the Portuguese Mass Spectrometry Network). Thanksare also due to FCT for the PhD Grant of Vitor Martins(SFRH/PROTEC/49249/2008) and to Dr. Ana Maria Carvalho, fromCIMO, for the identification of the plant material. ; info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion