Terminalia chebula, a medicinal plant, is widely used in the management of various diseases. As the water extract of its dried ripe fruit is a frequently used preparation, we decided to look for bioactive polysaccharide in this extract. We demonstrate that the obtained polysaccharide fraction, CP, contained a highly branched arabinogalactan protein having a (1 → 3)-, (1 → 6)- and (1 → 3, 6)-linked β-D-Galp together with (1 → 5)- and (1 → 3)-linked α-L-Araf and nonreducing end units of α-L-Araf. This polymer possesses strong antitussive property. Our results showed that the number of citric acid-induced cough efforts decreased significantly after the oral application of polysaccharide fraction in a dose of 50 mg kg−1 body weight. Its antitussive efficacy was higher than cough suppressive effect of standard drug codeine. Therefore, traditional aqueous extraction method provides a major polysaccharide, which induces a pharmacological effect: this could represent an attractive approach in phytotherapeutic managements.
The extraction of Fallopia sachalinensis leaves resulted in two fractions (FS-1 and FS-2). Chemical and spectral analyses of samples revealed the prevalence of pectic polysaccharides with high galacturonic acid, arabinose, galactose, and rhamnose content. Arabinogalactan with a higher content of phenolic prevailed in the FS-1, whereas rhamnogalacturonan predominated in the FS-2 fraction. Both polysaccharides showed significant antioxidant activity according to DPPH and FRAP assays. Evaluation of antitussive activity in healthy adult conscious guinea pigs after oral application of 50 and 75 mg/kg of the FS-2 polysaccharide extracts showed a significant suppression of cough reflex, without an influence on specific airway resistance. The suppression of cough was comparable with that of codeine.
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