Chemical Characterization of the Saussurea Salicifolia L. Polysaccharide Complex and Its NO-Stimulating Properties

Objective: A polysaccharide complex (PSC) from the aboveground part of Saussurea salicifolia L. (SS) was isolated and studied to show that SS PSC contains 54.99 ± 0.53% hexose, 12.99 ± 0.26% uronic acids, and 5.24 ± 0.04% protein and neutral monosaccharides represented by glucose, galactose, xylose, and rhamnose in a molar ratio of 1.67 : 1.00 : 1.20 : 1 > 42. Methods: Five main components were isolated by ion exchange chromatography. The structure of the isolated polysaccharides (PSs) was characterized by physicochemical methods, specifically IR spectroscopy, high-performance exclusive chromatography, and gas-liquid chromatography, as well as by the Congo red reaction. Results and Discussion: All the PSs have different contents of hexoses (from 32.46 ± 2.63 to 83.64 ± 5.93%), uronic acids (from 2.56 ± 0.17 to 20.07 ± 3.70%), and a little of protein (0.75 ± 0.13 to 2.28 ± 0.17%). The isolated polysaccharide samples are highly homogeneous and have different monomeric compositions. The major component of SS-1 PS is galactose, SS-2, SS-3, and SS-4 PSs contain mostly rhamnose, and glucose and xylose predominate in SS-5 PS. The triple helix structure is established for SS PSC and SS-5 PS. Conclusions: The isolated PSs stimulated NO synthase of peritoneal macrophages at the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) level, and samples 3, 4, and 5 showed an endotoxin-independent activity.