Structural characterization and immunomodulatory effect of a polysaccharide HCP-2 from Houttuynia cordata

• Published in: Carbohydrate polymers Vol. 103; pp. 244 - 249
• Main Authors: Cheng, Bao-Hui, Chan, Judy Yuet-Wa, Chan, Ben Chung-Lap, Lin, Huang-Quan, Han, Xiao-Qiang, Zhou, Xuelin, Wan, David Chi-Cheong, Wang, Yi-Fen, Leung, Ping-Chung, Fung, Kwok-Pui, Lau, Clara Bik-San
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 15.03.2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: acid hydrolysis; adaptive immunity; agarose; Applied sciences; bioactive properties; Biological and medical sciences; Carbohydrate Conformation; chemokine CCL3; chemokine CCL4; chemokine CCL5; Cytokines - biosynthesis; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drugs, Chinese Herbal - chemistry; Drugs, Chinese Herbal - isolation & purification; Drugs, Chinese Herbal - pharmacology; esterification; Exact sciences and technology; Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy; HCP-2; high performance liquid chromatography; Houttuynia - chemistry; Houttuynia cordata; Humans; Immunomodulation; Immunomodulators; innate immunity; interleukin-1beta; Leukocytes, Mononuclear - cytology; Leukocytes, Mononuclear - drug effects; Leukocytes, Mononuclear - metabolism; Medical sciences; Molecular Weight; Natural polymers; necrosis; nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy; Pectic polysaccharide; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Physicochemistry of polymers; Polysaccharides - chemistry; Polysaccharides - isolation & purification; Polysaccharides - pharmacology; Starch and polysaccharides; Structural characterization; Structure-Activity Relationship; T-lymphocytes; tumor necrosis factor-alpha; Houttuynia cordata; HCP-2; Immunomodulation; Pectic polysaccharide; Structural characterization; Molecular structure; Medicinal plant; Chinese medicine; Folk medicine; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Tumor necrosis factor α; Interleukin 1β; Macrophage inflammatory protein 1alpha; Experimental study; In vitro; Macrophage inflammatory protein 2; Biological activity; Pectic substance; Immunomodulator; Water soluble compound; Saururaceae; Plant origin; Oside polymer; Spermatophyta
• ISSN: 0144-8617; 1879-1344; 1879-1344
• DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2013.12.048

•A pure pectic polysaccharide (named HCP-2) was obtained from the water extract of Houttuynia cordata.•HCP-2 was chemically characterized using acid hydrolysis, PMP derivation, FTIR and NMR.•HCP-2 exhibited immunomodulatory effects in vitro. Immunomodulation of natural polysaccharides has been the hot topic of research in recent years. In order to explore the immunomodulatory effect of Houttuynia cordata Thunb., the water extract was studied and a polysaccharide HCP-2 with molecular weight of 60,000Da was isolated by chromatography using DEAE Sepharose CL-6B and Sephacryl S-400 HR columns. The structure characterization of HCP-2 was performed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), acidic hydrolysis, PMP derivation, HPLC analysis and nuclear magnetic resonance spectra (NMR). HCP-2 was elucidated as a pectic polysaccharide with a linear chain of 1,4-linked α-d-galacturonic acid residues in which part of the 6-carboxyl groups were methyl esterified and part of 2-hydroxyl groups were acetylated. The bioactivity assays showed that HCP-2 could increase the secretions of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), macrophage inhibitory protein-1α (MIP-1α), macrophage inhibitory protein-1β (MIP-1β), and RANTES (regulated on activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted) in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), which play critical roles in the innate immune system and shape the adaptive immunity. Our results implied that HCP-2 could be an immune enhancer.