Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 12, 2026
11:06
Structural Characterization of Mannan Cell Wall Polysaccharides in Plants Using PACE
Published on: October 16, 2017
Structural characterization of a pectic polysaccharide from Nerium indicum flowers
1Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zu Chong Zhi Road, 201203 Shanghai, China.
Phytochemistry
|June 25, 2010
Summary
A novel polysaccharide fraction, J6, isolated from oleander flowers, exhibits a unique RG-I structure. This plant-derived compound shows potential immune-stimulating properties by enhancing nitric oxide production in immune cells.
Area of Science:
- Phytochemistry
- Immunology
- Carbohydrate Chemistry
Background:
- Oleander (Nerium indicum Mill.) flowers are a source of bioactive compounds.
- Polysaccharides are known for diverse biological activities, including immunomodulation.
- Understanding the structure-activity relationship of plant polysaccharides is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To isolate and characterize a polysaccharide fraction (J6) from oleander flowers.
- To elucidate the structural features of the isolated polysaccharide.
- To investigate the preliminary immunomodulatory effects of J6.
Main Methods:
- Hot-water extraction followed by ethanol precipitation and CTAB complexing.
- Anion-exchange and gel permeation chromatography for purification.
- Structural elucidation using methylation analysis, mass spectrometry, and NMR spectroscopy.
Main Results:
- Isolation of a polysaccharide fraction J6 containing L-rhamnose, L-arabinose, D-galactose, and D-galacturonic acid.
- Structural analysis revealed J6 as an RG-I type polysaccharide with a rhamnogalacturonan backbone and complex branching.
- Preliminary tests showed J6 stimulates nitric oxide (NO) production in macrophage RAW264.7 cells.
Conclusions:
- Oleander flowers yield a structurally complex RG-I polysaccharide (J6).
- The elucidated structure provides insights into its chemical properties.
- J6 demonstrates preliminary potential as an immunomodulatory agent.
Related Concept Videos
01:15Cellulose and Pectic Polysaccharides
Every plant cell has a cell wall that protects the cell, provides structural support, and gives the cell shape. Cellulose, the main structural component of the plant cell wall, makes up over 30% of plant matter. It is the most abundant organic compound on earth. Cellulose is an unbranched polysaccharide composed of linear chains of glucose molecules linked by β (1→4) glycosidic bonds.
As a cell matures, its cell wall specializes according to its type. For example, the parenchyma cells of...
As a cell matures, its cell wall specializes according to its type. For example, the parenchyma cells of...
01:14Cell Adhesion in Plants
Plants have rigid cell walls that are made up of cell wall polysaccharides that mediate cell-cell adhesion. The primary cell walls of plants consist of two independent and interacting polysaccharide networks: a pectin matrix that embeds the second network comprising cellulose and hemicelluloses.
Pectins are complex heteropolymers mainly composed of negatively-charged α-D-glucopyranosyl uronic acid and some neutral glycosyl residues such as α-L-rhamnopyranose, α-L-arabinofuranose, and...
Pectins are complex heteropolymers mainly composed of negatively-charged α-D-glucopyranosyl uronic acid and some neutral glycosyl residues such as α-L-rhamnopyranose, α-L-arabinofuranose, and...