Structural characterization and anti-inflammatory effects of an arabinan isolated from Rehmannia glutinosa Libosch.

Considering that natural polysaccharides are potential anti-inflammatory agents, in this study, an arabinan (RGP70–2) was isolated and purified from Rehmannia glutinosa Libosch. (R. glutinosa) and its structure was characterized. RGP70–2 was a homogeneous polysaccharide with a molecular weight of 6.7 kDa, with the main backbone comprising →5)-α-L-Araf-(1→, →3)-α-L-Araf-(1→, →2,3,5)-α-L-Araf-(1→, and →2,5)-α-L-Araf-(1 → linkages and the side chain comprising an α-L-Araf-(1 → linkage. In vivo experiments showed that RGP70–2 inhibited ROS production and downregulated the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6). In vitro experiments showed that RGP70–2 decreased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, inhibited ROS production, and attenuated NF-κB-p65 translocation from the cytoplasm to the nucleus. Our results showed that RGP70–2 may delay inflammation by regulating the ROS-NF-κB pathway. Thus, RGP70–2 has potential applications as an anti-inflammatory agent in the biopharmaceutical industry.