Purification of a polysaccharide from Gynostemma pentaphyllum Makino and its therapeutic advantages for psoriasis

• Published in: Carbohydrate polymers 2012-08, Vol.89 (4), p.1232-1237
• Main Authors: Li, Xiao-Li, Wang, Zheng-Hui, Zhao, Yong-Xi, Luo, Su-Ju, Zhang, Ding-Wei, Xiao, Sheng-Xiang, Peng, Zhen-Hui
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: apoptosis; Apoptosis - drug effects; Applied sciences; Biological and medical sciences; Bones, joints and connective tissue. Antiinflammatory agents; Cell Line; cytotoxicity; dose response; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Exact sciences and technology; gas chromatography; Gynostemma - chemistry; Gynostemma pentaphyllum; Humans; Medical sciences; membrane potential; Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial - drug effects; mitochondrial membrane; molecular weight; Natural polymers; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Physicochemistry of polymers; Polysaccharide; polysaccharides; Polysaccharides - chemistry; Polysaccharides - isolation & purification; Polysaccharides - pharmacology; Psoriasis; Psoriasis - drug therapy; Psoriasis - metabolism; Psoriasis - pathology; Purification; Starch and polysaccharides; therapeutics; tumor necrosis factor-alpha; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - metabolism
• ISSN: 0144-8617; 1879-1344
• DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2012.04.001

► A polysaccharide (GP-I), with a molecular mass of 33kDa, was purified from this plant. ► GP-I exhibited sensitive growth inhibition and induced apoptosis in HaCat cells. ► TNF-α, as a vital proinflammatory cytokine in psoriasis, was reduced in HaCat cells by GP-I. ► There was no growth inhibition induced by GP-I on the growth of Hs-68. ► GP-I was a promising antipsoriatic agent to be developed for psoriasis treatment. In current study, a water-soluble polysaccharide (GP-I), with a molecular mass of 33kDa, was purified from Gynostemma pentaphyllum. Gas chromatography (GC) analysis suggested that it was composed of Glc, Gal, Man, Rha and Ara with a ratio of 5.3: 4.2: 3.0: 0.7: 0.8. The GP-I (25, 50, 100, 200 and 400μg/ml) was found to have significant anti-proliferative effects on HaCat cells in a dose-dependent manner, as measured by MTT assay. On the contrary, Trypan blue exclusion experiment indicated that GP-I had no cytotoxicity to HaCat cells. Moreover, the decrease of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) in GP-I treated cells was also observed, indicating apoptosis in HaCat cells. Besides, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), a vital pro-inflammatory cytokine in psoriasis, in the supernatant of HaCat cells was dramatically reduced by GP-I. Collectively, these findings suggested that GP-I was a promising agent to be developed for psoriasis treatment in clinical therapy.