Characterization and anti-tumor activity of a polysaccharide isolated from Dendrobium officinale grown in the Huoshan County

Abstract

BackgroundPolysaccharides are carbohydrate chains composed of linked monosaccharide units. Accumulating studies report that polysaccharides isolated from Dendrobium officinale have a variety of functions. However, the composition and anti-tumor activity of D. officinale grown in the Huoshan area are largely unknown.MethodsA polysaccharide (DOPA-1) was isolated from D. officinale by hot water extraction and ethanol precipitation, followed by purification via DEAE-cellulose and Sephadex G-100 chromatography. DOPA-1 was analyzed by infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance and then characterized by periodate oxidation and Smith degradation. The anti-tumor activity of DOPA-1 was then tested in HepG-2 cells.ResultsOur results show that DOPA-1 is mainly comprised of mannose, glucose, and galactose at a molar ratio of 1:0.42:0.27 and has an average molecular weight of 2.29 × 105 Da. Additionally, DOPA-1 inhibited HepG-2 cell growth in a dose-dependent manner. DOPA-1-treated HepG-2 cells also had increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and decreased mitochondrial membrane potential. Furthermore, apoptosis was observed in DOPA-1-treated HepG-2 cells along with Bcl-2 downregulation and Bax upregulation at the protein level.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that DOPA-1 induces apoptosis in tumor cells via altered mitochondrial function, ROS production, and altered apoptosis-related protein expression. This bioactive polysaccharide could, therefore, potentially be further developed as an anti-tumor adjuvant drug.

Research progress on the ethanol precipitation process of traditional Chinese medicine

“…Polysaccharides and proteins are usually collected from the precipitate of EPP. The polysaccharides of TCMs may possess antioxidant activity [35,36], anti-tumor activity [37], immunomodulatory effects [38], and hepatoprotective effect [39]. By adjusting the ethanol concentration in supernatant, polysaccharides with different molecular weight distributions can be obtained.…”

Optimization of quercetin extraction method in Dendrobium officinale by response surface methodology

“…Dendrobium officinale , a plant that grows on rocky cliffs, is mainly distributed in Southwestern Anhui, Eastern Zhejiang, Western Fujian, Northwestern Guangxi, Sichuan and Southeastern Yunnan of China [1, 2]. Dendrobium officinale has anti-tumor, anti-fatigue and anti-oxidation properties [3, 4, 5]. Modern studies show that Dendrobium officinale contains a variety of chemical constituents, and the types of compounds identified so far include alkaloids, carbohydrates, bibenzyls, steroidal saponins, and flavonoids [6, 7].…”

The effect of fermentation conditions on the structure and anti-tumor activity of polysaccharides from Cordyceps gunnii

“…Wei et al reported that polysaccharide isolated from Dendrobium officinale had anti-tumor activity on HepG-2 cells by MTT assay. 26 The growth inhibitory rates of the crude polysaccharides to human gastric cancer cells were evaluated in vitro by MTT assay. 3 The polysaccharide of strain FK1 was extracted from the mycelium free supernatant by boiling water method and evaluated for antitoxicity effect on two human cancer cell lines: HeLa cell line and lymphoblastoid cell line (LCL) by MTT method.…”