Biopolymer Extracted from Anadenanthera colubrina (Red Angico Gum) Exerts Therapeutic Potential in Mice: Antidiarrheal Activity and Safety Assessment

Abstract

Anadenanthera colubrina var. cebil (Griseb.) Altschul (Fabaceae family), commonly known as the red angico tree, is a medicinal plant found throughout Brazil’s semi-arid area. In this study, a chemical analysis was performed to investigate the antidiarrheal activity and safety profile of red angico gum (RAG), a biopolymer extracted from the trunk exudate of A. colubrina. Upon FT-IR spectroscopy, RAG showed bands in the regions of 1608 cm−1, 1368 cm−1, and 1029 cm−1, which relate to the vibration of O–H water molecules, deformation vibration of C-O bands, and vibration of the polysaccharide C-O band, respectively, all of which are relevant to glycosidic bonds. The peak molar mass of RAG was 1.89 × 105 g/mol, with the zeta potential indicating electronegativity. RAG demonstrated high yield and solubility with a low degree of impurity. Pre-treatment with RAG reduced the total diarrheal stool and enteropooling. RAG also enhanced Na+/K+-ATPase activity and reduced gastrointestinal transit, and thereby inhibited intestinal smooth muscle contractions. Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) demonstrated that RAG can interact with GM1 receptors and can also reduce E. coli-induced diarrhea in vivo. Moreover, RAG did not induce any signs of toxicity in mice. These results suggest that RAG is a possible candidate for the treatment of diarrheal diseases.

Polissacarídeos naturais como abordagem terapêutica experimental no trato gastrointestinal: uma revisão sistemática

“…Atualmente, não há tratamento farmacológico eficaz para diarreia, e o tratamento disponível é inespecífico e geralmente visa reduzir o desconforto, desidratação e inconveniência causada por evacuações frequentes (Sousa, et al, 2016). Resultados semelhantes também foram encontrados em estudos com polissacarídeos extraídos de espécies vegetais, tais como: Anacardium occidentale (Araújo, et al, 2015) e Anadenanthera colubrina (Araújo et al, 2020). Através da análise destes estudos pode-se observar que os resultados obtidos nos ensaios biológicos sugerem que a atividade antidiarreica dos polissacarídeos se deve à sua capacidade de alterar os parâmetros fecais, inibir o acúmulo de fluidos intestinais, estimulando a atividade de N+/K+-ATPase nos enterócitos e reduzir a motilidade gastrointestinal, possivelmente por vias anticolinérgicas, opióides e/ou através do bloqueio físico do influxo extracelular de íons na mucosa, consequentemente, inibindo as contrações do músculo liso intestinal.…”

“…Por não serem absorvidos pela mucosa do trato gastrointestinal, permanecem nela por longos períodos sem produzir efeitos sistêmicos, proporcionando vantagem substancial em relação à maioria dos medicamentos convencionais (Araújo, et al, 2020).…”

A comprehensive review of therapeutic approaches available for the treatment of cholera

“…Some of these polysaccharides that had antisecretory activity in cholera toxin‐induced diarrhoea were cashew gum (GC), a complex heteropolysaccharide extracted from the cashew tree exudate; Anacardium occidentale L. (Anacardiaceae), a plant commonly known in Brazil as cashew tree (Figure 4) [ 67 ] ; and the biopolymer (red angico gum) extracted from Anadenanthera colubrina , commonly known as red angico tree (Figure 4). [ 68 ] Sulfated polysaccharides extracted from marine algae have also been widely studied for presenting promising results regarding their antidiarrhoeal pharmacological activity (Figure 4). We observed the presence of similar effects of sulfur polysaccharides from the alleles Gracilaria cervicornis , [ 69 ] Gracilaria intermedia , [ 70 ] Gracilaria caudata [ 71 ] and Hypnea musciformis .…”

In Vivo Efficacy, Toxicity Assessment, and Elemental Analysis of Traditionally Used Polyherbal Recipe for Diarrhea

“…It is the second leading cause of mortality, accounting for 1 in 9 deaths in children, about 76,000 children suffering from diarrhea, and 1.7 billion cases per year [ 2 ]. Acute diarrhea is mainly caused by enteric pathogens like Vibrio cholerae , Escherichia coli , Shigella, and Salmonella species and some fungal and viral agents [ 3 ]. A previous study [ 4 ] indicates that 19% of 259 diarrheal patients have Pseudomonas aeruginosa as a causative agent.…”