Characterization and Protection on Acute Liver Injury of a Polysaccharide MP-I from Mytilus Coruscus

摘要

In this study, we analyzed a water-soluble polysaccharide MP-I isolated from Mytilus coruscus. MP-I was obtained by hot-water extraction, anion-exchange and gel-permeation chromatography. Complete hydrolysis, periodate oxidation, methylation analysis, as well as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy were conducted to elucidate its structure. MP-I was subjected to investigate the protective effect on carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) induced liver damage in male Kunming mice. Based on the data obtained, MP-I was found to be an α-(1→4)-d-glucan, branched with a single α-d-glucose at the C-6 position every eight residue, on average, along the main chain. Based on the calibration with Dextran, the glucan had a molecular weight of about 1.35 × 106 Da. Pharmacological studies revealed that MP-I could decrease serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and hepatic malondialdehyde aldehydes (MDA) levels, increase the hepatic total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) activity, and improve hepatic damage in the CCl₄ induced liver injury in mice in a dose-dependent manner. The results suggest that the possible mechanism is due to its antioxidant activity of MP-I.