title: Isolation and partial characterization of a pectic polysaccharide from the fruit pulp of Spondias cytherea and its effect on peritoneal macrophage activation.
abstract: The total carbohydrate content of the intact pulp of Spondias cytherea was 41%. Polysaccharides were obtained via hot aqueous extraction after defatting with organic solvents. The aqueous extract was treated with excess ethanol to form a precipitate, which was then solubilized in water. The material precipitated upon acidification when HCl was removed. The resulting supernatant fraction was submitted to freeze-thawing treatment yielding a soluble fraction (sFTS). This fraction had Ara, Rha, Gal and GalA in its structure as determined by GC-MS. 13C NMR analysis showed signals assigned to alpha-L-Araf, beta-D-Galp, alpha-D-GalpA and alpha-L-Rhap units, in addition to galacturonic acid units, which were present also as methyl ester. These results suggest a type I rhamnogalacturonan with arabinogalactan branches. Cell eliciting activity in a dose-depending pattern was observed in vitro on peritoneal macrophages treated with sFTS.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquimica e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil. iacomini@ufpr.br
authors.forename: Marcello
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iacomini
authors.forename: Rodrigo V
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Serrato
authors.forename: Guilherme L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Sassaki
authors.forename: Luciana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lopes
authors.forename: Dorly F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Buchi
authors.forename: Phillip A J
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Gorin
mesh_terms: D027926:Anacardiaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry*; D008262:Macrophage Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D017737:Macrophages, Peritoneal / Q000187:drug effects; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D008745:Methylation; D051379:Mice; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts; D011134:Polysaccharides