Hepatoprotective Effects of Polysaccharide from Anoectochilus roxburghii (Wall.) Lindl. on Rat Liver Injury Induced by CCl(4)

PURPOSE: The polysaccharide of Anoectochilus roxburghii (wall.) Lindl. (ARPS) is one of its important active ingredients. Hepatoprotective effects of ARPS on rat liver injury induced by CCl(4) were studied. METHODS: ARPS was extracted using the ultrasonic method and successfully purified by high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) with a two-phase aqueous system composed of 12.5% PEG 1000–20% K(2)HPO(4):KH(2)PO(4) (1:1). The HSCCC conditions were optimized, and the structure of ARPS was characterized. The hepatoprotective effects of ARPS against CCl(4)-induced chronic hepatic injury in SD rats were evaluated. RESULTS: The results showed that ARPS was a water-soluble polysaccharide with a molecular weight of 28,518 Da. It was composed of mannose, ribose, glucose, and arabian sugar; its monosaccharide molar ratio was glucose:ribose:arabinose:mannose = 54.24:13.20:1.09:1.00. The purity of ARPS was determined by HPLC to be 96.93%. The intervention effects of ARPS on CCl(4)-induced hepatic damage model in rats showed that ARPS could effectively reduce the activity of alanine amino transferase and aspartate amino transferase, decrease the content of malondialdehyde and nitric oxide synthesis, and increase the content of glutathione. Pathology revealed that liver plate order, liver cell degeneration, and edema were improved; inflammatory cell infiltration was not observed after ARPS intervention. CONCLUSION: ARPS had the function of antioxidant for protecting CCl(4)-induced injured liver, and the mechanisms were related to anti-lipid peroxidation, which could eliminate oxygen-free radicals and protect liver cells from attacks by free radicals.