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Structural characterization and immunological activity of pectin polysaccharide from kiwano (Cucumis metuliferus)
Minqian Zhu1, Riming Huang1, Peng Wen1
1Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food Quality and Safety, College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
Abstract:
Two novel polysaccharides, namely CMPP-1 and CMPP-2, from kiwano (Cucumis metuliferus) peels were isolated through hot-water extraction, followed by ethanol precipitation and column chromatography. The results showed that CMPP-1 and CMPP-2 were hetero-galacturonans with different molecular weights of 7.35 kDa and 6.90 kDa, respectively. Both of CMPP-1 and CMPP-2 were mainly composed of glucuronic acid (45.93 % and 51.75 %, respectively), and other monosaccharides including rhamnose, arabinose, galactose, glucose, xylose, fucose, mannose, galacturonic acid, and mannuronic acid. The results of structural characterization from FT-IR and NMR confirmed that CMPP-1 and CMPP-2 were pectin with highly branched structure. Furthermore, both CMPP-1 and CMPP-2 possessed immune-enhancing activity and could enhance the secretion of nitric oxide and cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6) in a dose-dependent manner. Especially, CMPP-1 had higher immune activity than CMPP-2 as the minimum effective concentration were 0.78 μg/mL and 6.25 μg/mL, respectively. These findings provide a scientific basis for further utilization of polysaccharide from kiwano peels.
