Isolation, purification, and physicochemical characterization of Polygonatum polysaccharide and its protective effect against CCl4-induced liver injury via Nrf2 and NF-κB signaling pathways

• Published in: International journal of biological macromolecules 2024-03, Vol.261, p.129863-129863, Article 129863
• Main Authors: Yuan, Guangxin, Wang, Yutong, Niu, Hongmei, Ma, Yue, Song, Jianxi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anti-inflammatory; Hepatoprotective activity; Polygonatum polysaccharide
• ISSN: 0141-8130; 1879-0003
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.129863

This study aimed to provide scientific evidence that Polygonatum polysaccharide can be developed as a dietary supplement and medication for treating liver injuries. A water-soluble polysaccharide (PSP-N-c-1), with an average molecular weight of 3.45 kDa, was isolated and purified from the water extract of Polygonatum using DEAE cellulose column chromatography, CL-6B agarose gel chromatography, and Sephadex G100 chromatography. High-performance liquid chromatography, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy analyses revealed that PSP-N-c-1 might be linear α-(1 → 4)-glucans with α-Glcp residues linked to the backbone at C-6. In vitro experiments revealed that PSP-N-c-1 exhibited protective effects against CCl4-induced damage in HepG2 cells. In vivo experiments demonstrated that PSP-N-c-1 exhibited a hepatoprotective effect by enhancing antioxidant enzyme activity, inhibiting lipid peroxidation, and reducing the activity of pro-inflammatory mediators. Besides, PSP-N-c-1 could attenuate oxidative stress and inflammatory responses by activating the Nrf2-mediated signaling pathways and regulating the TLR4-mediated NF-κB signaling pathways. These findings demonstrated that PSP-N-c-1 may serve as a supplement for alleviating chemical liver damage. •A novel polysaccharide named PSP-N-c-1 was obtained from of Polygonatum.•PSP-N-c-1 exhibited protective effects against CCl4-induced damage in HepG2 cells.•PSP-N-c-1 had a hepatoprotective effect by enhancing antioxidant enzyme activity and inhibiting lipid peroxidation.•PSP-N-c-1 could activate the Nrf2-mediated signaling pathways and regulating the TLR4-mediated NF-κB signaling pathways.