Extraction, structural characterization, and antioxidant activity of polysaccharides derived from Arctium lappa L

Dandan Gao; Hong Chen; Haixing Li; Xuhua Yang; Xingchen Guo; Yuxuan Zhang; Jinpu Ma; Jutian Yang; Shuwen Ma

doi:10.3389/fnut.2023.1149137

Extraction, structural characterization, and antioxidant activity of polysaccharides derived from Arctium lappa L

Front Nutr. 2023 Mar 21:10:1149137. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2023.1149137. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Dandan Gao^{1

2}, Hong Chen³, Haixing Li³, Xuhua Yang^{1

2}, Xingchen Guo^{1

2}, Yuxuan Zhang^{1

2}, Jinpu Ma^{1

2}, Jutian Yang^{2

4}, Shuwen Ma^{2

4}

Affiliations

¹ China-Malaysia National Joint Laboratory, Biomedical Research Center, Northwest Minzu University, Lanzhou, China.
² College of Life Sciences and Engineering, Northwest Minzu University, Lanzhou, China.
³ Sino-German Joint Research Institute, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China.
⁴ Taizishan Ecosystem Observatory of Carbon Neutralization, Northwest Minzu University, Lanzhou, China.

Abstract

Introduction: Arctium lappa L. root has high nutritional and medicinal values and has been identified as a healthy food raw material by the Ministry of Health of the People's Republic of China.

Methods: In the present study, an aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) of polyethylene glycol (PEG)-(NH₄)₂SO₄ was used to extract Arctium lappa L. polysaccharides (ALPs) from the Arctium lappa L. roots, the optimal extraction conditions of crude ALPs were optimized by using the single-factor experiment and response surface methodology. The structure and composition of ALPs were determined by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). At the same time, the antioxidant activity of ALPs was investigated by in vitro antioxidant experiment.

Results: The optimized extraction parameters for extraction ALPs were as follows: the PEG relative molecular weight of 6,000, a quality fraction of PEG 25%, a quality fraction of (NH₄)₂SO₄ 18%, and an extraction temperature of 80°C. Under these conditions, the extraction rate of ALPs could reach 28.83%. FTIR, SEM and HPLC results showed that ALPs were typical acidic heteropolysaccharides and had uneven particle size distribution, an irregular shape, and a rough surface. The ALPs were chiefly composed of glucose, rhamnose, arabinose, and galactose with a molar ratio of 70.19:10.95:11.16:6.90. In addition, the ALPs had intense antioxidant activity in vitro with IC₅₀ values in the ·OH radical (1.732 mg/ml), DPPH radical (0.29 mg/ml), and superoxide anion (0.15 mg/ml) scavenging abilities.

Discussion: The results showed that ATPS was an efficient method to extract polysaccharides and could be used for the extraction of other polysaccharides. These results indicated that ALPs had great prospects as a functional food and could be exploited in multiple fields.

Keywords: Arctium lappa L.; antioxidant activity; aqueous two-phase system; polysaccharides; response surface methodology.

Grants and funding

This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 31960461), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of Northwest Minzu University (Nos. 31920220045, 31920220024, and BELTY201901), and the Science and Technology Funding of Chengguan District, Lanzhou (No. 2022JSCX0011).