Aim:Kefiran is an exopolysaccharide produced by Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens, and has been proposed to have many health-promoting properties. We investigated the antiatherogenic effect of kefiran on rabbits fed a high-cholesterol diet. Methods: Male New Zealand White rabbits were fed a 0.5% cholesterol diet without (control group, n 7) or with kefiran (kefiran group, n 8) for eight weeks. The aorta was analyzed by histochemistry and atherosclerotic lesions were quantified. Lipids and sugars in serum were measured. Foam cell formation of RAW264.7 by VLDL derived from both groups of rabbits was also investigated. Results: Cholesterol, triglyceride and phospholipids levels of serum and lipoprotein fractions were not significantly different between these groups. Atherosclerotic lesions of the aorta in the kefiran group were statistically lower than those of the control group, with marked differences in the abdominal aorta. T-lymphocytes were not detectable in the aorta of the kefiran group. Cholesterol contents in stools were almost identical in both groups. Cholesterol content in the liver of the kefiran group was statistically lower than in the control group. Galactose content of VLDL derived from the kefiran group was higher, and the lipid peroxidation level was much lower than in the control group. RAW264.7 macrophages treated with VLDL from the kefiran group showed a more spherical shape and accumulated statistically lower cholesterol than macrophages treated with VLDL from the control group. Conclusion: Orally derived kefiran is absorbed in the blood. Kefiran prevents the onset and development of atherosclerosis in hypercholesterolemic rabbits by anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant actions. J Atheroscler Thromb, 2010; 17:980-988.
Commercial low molecular weight heparins (LMWHs) are prepared by several methods including peroxidative cleavage, nitrous acid cleavage, chemical ß-elimination, and enzymatic β-elimination. The disadvantages of these methods are that strong reaction conditions or harsh chemicals are used and these can result in decomposition or modification of saccharide units within the polysaccharide backbone. These side-reactions reduce product quality and yield. Here we show the partial photolysis of unfractionated heparin can be performed in distillated water using titanium dioxide (TiO2). TiO2 is a catalyst that can be easily removed by centrifugation or filtration after the photochemical reaction takes place, resulting in highly pure products. The anticoagulant activity of photodegraded LMWH (pLMWH) is comparable to the most common commercially available LMWHs (i.e., Enoxaparin and Dalteparin). 1H NMR spectra obtained show that pLMWH maintains the same core structure as unfractionated heparin. This photochemical reaction was investigated using liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) and unlike other processes commonly used to prepare LMWHs, photochemically preparation affords polysaccharide chains of reduced length having both odd and even of saccharide residues.
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