title: Artemisia absinthium and Artemisia vulgaris: a comparative study of infusion polysaccharides.
abstract: The aerial parts of Artemisia absinthium and Artemisia vulgaris are used in infusions for the treatment of several diseases. Besides secondary metabolites, carbohydrates are also extracted with hot water and are present in the infusions. The plant carbohydrates exhibit several of therapeutic properties and their biological functions are related to chemical structure. In this study, the polysaccharides from infusions of the aerial parts of A. absinthium and A. vulgaris were isolated and characterized. In the A. absinthium infusion, a type II arabinogalactan was isolated. The polysaccharide had a Gal:Ara ratio of 2.3:1, and most of the galactose was (1 → 3)- and (1 → 6)-linked, as typically found in type II arabinogalactans. In the A. vulgaris infusion, an inulin-type fructan was the main polysaccharide. NMR analysis confirmed the structure of the polymer, which is composed of a chain of fructosyl units β-(2 ← 1) linked to a starting α-d-glucose unit.
authors: Universidade Federal do Paraná, Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, CP 19046, 81531-980 Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
authors: Marília Locatelli
authors: ML
authors: Corrêa-Ferreira
authors: Universidade Federal do Paraná, Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, CP 19046, 81531-980 Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
authors: Guilhermina Rodrigues
authors: GR
authors: Noleto
authors: Universidade Federal do Paraná, Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, CP 19046, 81531-980 Curitiba, PR, Brazil. Electronic address: clop@ufpr.br.
authors: Carmen Lúcia
authors: CL
authors: Oliveira Petkowicz
mesh_terms: D019306:Artemisia / Q000737:chemistry*; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D035261:Plant Components, Aerial / Q000737:chemistry; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D011134:Polysaccharides
keywords: Arabinogalactan; Artemisia absinthium; Artemisia vulgaris; Fructan; Infusion; Polysaccharides