Search Results (7)

Ultraviolet B (UVB) irradiation drives skin photodamage, prompting exploration of natural therapeutics. This study investigated the reparative effects and mechanisms of crude Gastrodia elata polysaccharides (GP) on UVB-induced acute skin damage. GP was extracted from fresh G. elata via water extraction and alcohol precipitation. It is a homogeneous polysaccharide with a weight-average molecular weight of 808.863 kDa, comprising Ara, Glc, Fru, and GalA. Histopathological analysis revealed that topical application of GP on the dorsal skin of mice effectively restored normal physiological structure, suppressing epidermal hyperplasia and collagen degradation. Biochemical assays showed that GP significantly reduced the activities of MPO and MDA following UVB exposure while restoring the enzymatic activities of SOD and GSH, thereby mitigating oxidative stress. Moreover, GP treatment markedly upregulated the anti-inflammatory cytokines TGF-β and IL-10 and downregulated the pro-inflammatory mediators IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α, suggesting robust anti-inflammatory effects. Transcriptomics revealed dual-phase mechanisms: Early repair (day 5) involved GP-mediated suppression of hyper inflammation and accelerated necrotic tissue clearance via pathway network modulation. Late phase (day 18) featured enhanced anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and tissue regeneration processes through energy-sufficient, low-inflammatory pathway networks. Through a synergistic response involving antioxidation, anti-inflammation, promotion of collagen synthesis, and acceleration of skin barrier repair, GP achieves comprehensive repair of UVB-induced acute skin damage. Our findings not only establish GP as a potent natural alternative to synthetic photoprotective agents but also reveal novel pathway network interactions governing polysaccharide-mediated skin regeneration. Full article

Gastrodia elata Blume is a well-known medicinal and edible plant in China, celebrated for its extensive history in traditional medicine and functional food applications. Among its key bioactive components, polysaccharides have drawn significant attention from researchers in the fields of health food and medicine due to their potential health benefits. Recent studies have revealed various biological activities associated with G. elata polysaccharides, including antioxidant, anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anti-aging, immune regulation, and neuroprotective properties. However, a comprehensive overview of these polysaccharides remains elusive. Specifically, relationship between the structure and activity of G. elata polysaccharides, along with the mechanisms through which various types exert their biological effects, has yet to be fully elucidated. This knowledge gap may impede the further development and utilization of G. elata polysaccharides in medicine, health products, food, and cosmetics. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of recent advancements in extraction, separation, purification, biological activities, and applications of G. elata polysaccharides. Additionally, it delves into structure-activity relationships and pharmacological mechanisms of these polysaccharides, giving support for future research to enhance their application in medicine, food, health products, and cosmetics. Full article

Gastrodia elata (“Tian Ma” in Chinese) is used as a food and medical ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine. In this study, to enhance the anti-breast cancer activity of Gastrodia elata polysaccharide (GEP), GEPs were modified via sulfidation (SGEP) and acetylation (AcGEP). The physicochemical properties (such as solubility and substitution degree) and structural information (such as molecular weight M_w and radius of gyration R_g) of GEP derivatives were determined by Fourier transformed infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation (AF4) coupled online with multiangle light scattering (MALS) and differential refractive index (dRI) detectors (AF4-MALS-dRI). The effects of the structural modification of GEP on the proliferation, apoptosis, and cell cycle of MCF-7 cell were studied systematically. The ability of MCF-7 cell for the uptake of GEP was studied by laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM). The results suggested that the solubility and anti-breast cancer activity of GEP were enhanced and the average R_g and M_w of GEP decreased after chemical modification. The AF4-MALS-dRI results showed that the chemical modification process simultaneously caused the degradation and aggregation of GEPs. The LSCM results revealed that more SGEP can enter the MCF-7 cell interior compared with AcGEP. The results indicated that the structure of AcGEP could play a dominating role in antitumor activity. The data obtained in this work can be used as a starting point for investigating the structure-bioactivity of GEPs. Full article

In the current work, the effects of steam and boiling water blanching on the drying characteristics, water distribution, microstructure, and contents of bioactive substances of Gastrodia elata (G. elata) were explored. Results showed that the degree of steaming and blanching was related to the core temperature of G. elata. The steaming and blanching pretreatment increased the drying time of the samples by more than 50%. The low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) of treated samples showed that the relaxation time corresponded to water molecule states (bound, immobilized, and free) and G. elata became shorter, which indicated a reduction in free moisture and increased resistance of water diffusion in the solid structure during drying. Hydrolysis of polysaccharides and gelatinization of starch granules was observed in the microstructure of treated samples, which was consistent with changes in water status and drying rates. Steaming and blanching increased gastrodin and crude polysaccharide contents and decreased p-hydroxybenzyl alcohol content. These findings will contribute to a better understanding of the effect of steaming and blanching on the drying behavior and quality attributes of G. elata. Full article

A polysaccharide from Gastrodia elata (named GEP-1) was isolated with a DEAE-52 column and Sephadex G-100 column. The structural characteristics showed that GEP-1 was mainly composed of glucose (92.04%), galactose (4.79%) and arabinose (2.19%) with a molecular weight of 76.444 kDa. The polydispersity (Mw/Mn) of GEP-1 was 1.25, indicating that the distribution of molar mass (Mw) was relatively narrow, which suggested that GEP-1 was a homogeneous polysaccharide. Moreover, the molecular conformation plot of the root mean square (RMS) radius (<$r_g^2$> 1/2) versus Mw yielded a line with a slope less than 0.33 (0.15 ± 0.02), displaying that GEP-1 is a compact and curly spherical molecule in NaNO₃ aqueous solution. NMR and methylation analyses revealed that the main chain structure of GEP-1 was α-(1→4)-glucans. Furthermore, it was proven that GEP-1 possessed cytoproliferative and enhancing phagocytic activities and induced cytokine (TNF-α, IL1-β) and nitric oxide (NO) release in macrophages by upregulating the related gene expression. In addition, the RNA-seq results suggested that the GEP-1-induced immunomodulatory effect was mainly caused by activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway, which was further verified by NF-κB ELISA and pathway inhibition assays. As a result, GEP-1 exhibits the potential to be developed as a novel cheap immunostimulant without obvious toxicity. Full article

A novel homogeneous polysaccharide named GEP-1 was isolated and purified from Gastrodia elata (G. elata) by hot-water extraction, ethanol precipitation, and membrane separator. GEP-1, which has a molecular weight of 20.1 kDa, contains a polysaccharide framework comprised of only glucose. Methylation and NMR analysis showed that GEP-1 contained 1,3,6-linked-α-Glcp, 1,4-linked-α-Glcp, 1,4-linked-β-Glcp and 1,4,6-linked-α-Glcp. Interestingly, GEP-1 contained citric acid and repeating p-hydroxybenzyl alcohol as one branch. Furthermore, a bioactivity test showed that GEP-1 could significantly promote the growth of Akkermansia muciniphila (A. muciniphila) and Lacticaseibacillus paracasei (L.paracasei) strains. These results implied that GEP-1 might be useful for human by modulating gut microbiota. Full article

Gastrodia elata Blume (G. elata) is a valuable Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) with a wide range of clinical applications. G. elata polysaccharides, as one of the main active ingredients of G. elata, have interesting extraction, purification, qualitative analysis, quantitative analysis, derivatization, and pharmacological activity aspects, yet a review of G. elata polysaccharides has not yet been published. Based on this, this article summarizes the progress of G. elata polysaccharides in terms of the above aspects to provide a basis for their further research and development. Full article