Purification, characterization and in vitro and in vivo immune enhancement of polysaccharides from mulberry leaves

PLoS One. 2019 Jan 2;14(1):e0208611. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0208611. eCollection 2019.

Abstract

Mulberry leaf polysaccharide (MLP) was extracted and purified by DEAE-52 cellulose and Sephadex G-100 column chromatography to afford two major purified polysaccharides (MLP-1 and MLP-2). The purified polysaccharides were characterized, and their immune-enhancing properties were investigated. MLP-1 had a molecular weight of 9.31×104 Da and was composed of mannose, rhamnose, glucose, galactose, xylose, and arabinose in a molar ratio of 0.71:1.00:2.76:1.13:3.70:2.81. The molecular weight of MLP-2 was 2.22×106 Da, and its monosaccharide constituents were mannose, rhamnose, glucose, galactose, and arabinose in a molar ratio of 1.31:8.45:6.94:1.00:11.96. Infrared spectroscopy showed that each MLP had a typical absorption peak characteristic of sugars, and ultraviolet (UV) spectroscopy showed that neither MLP contained nucleic acid or protein components. Then, the abilities of these polysaccharides to stimulate spleen lymphocyte proliferation in mice in vitro were compared by the 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. MLP-2 was more effective than MLP-1; therefore, MLP-2 was chosen for the study of its immune-enhancing effects in vivo. For the in vivo experiments, 14-day-old chickens immunized with Newcastle disease (ND) vaccine were orally administered MLP-2, and Astragalus polysaccharide (APS) was used as the control. Each chicken was orally administered 4 mg or 8 mg of MLP-2 for seven consecutive days starting three days before ND vaccine immunization. MLP-2 significantly improved the ND serum antibody titer and interleukin-2 (IL-2), interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and immunoglobulin A (sIgA) concentrations in tracheal and jejunal wash fluids, and increasing numbers of immune globulin A-positive (IgA+) cells in cecal tonsils and increased body weight. These results indicated that MLP-2 could significantly enhance immune activity and could therefore be utilized as an immunopotentiator drug candidate.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies / metabolism
  • B-Lymphocytes / cytology
  • B-Lymphocytes / drug effects
  • Body Weight / drug effects
  • Cell Count
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Chickens
  • Female
  • Immunity, Mucosal / drug effects
  • Immunoglobulin A, Secretory / metabolism
  • Lipopolysaccharides / pharmacology
  • Male
  • Mice, Inbred ICR
  • Monosaccharides / analysis
  • Morus / chemistry*
  • Phytohemagglutinins / pharmacology
  • Plant Leaves / chemistry*
  • Polysaccharides / immunology*
  • Polysaccharides / isolation & purification*
  • Polysaccharides / pharmacology
  • Reference Standards
  • Spectrophotometry, Infrared
  • Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet
  • Spleen / cytology
  • T-Lymphocytes / cytology
  • T-Lymphocytes / drug effects
  • Vaccination

Substances

  • Antibodies
  • Immunoglobulin A, Secretory
  • Lipopolysaccharides
  • Monosaccharides
  • Phytohemagglutinins
  • Polysaccharides

Grants and funding

This study was financially supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China (31702286), Jiangsu Province Natural Science Foundation (BK20161368), Natural Science Research Project of Universities in Jiangsu Province of China (16KJB230005), Jiangsu Overseas Visiting Scholar Program for University Prominent Young & Middle-aged Teacher and Presidents (2018) and Qing Lan Project of Colleges and Universities in Jiangsu Province (2018). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.