AUTHOR=Chen Yi , Qiao Saifeng , Liu Huiping , Xing Huizhen , Chen Pei 

TITLE=Structural Characterization and Anti-breast Cancer Activity in vitro of a Novel Polysaccharide From Cymbopogon citratus

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Nutrition

VOLUME=9

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2022.911838

DOI=10.3389/fnut.2022.911838

ISSN=2296-861X

ABSTRACT=<p><italic>Cymbopogon citratus</italic> is an important functional food, widely used for flavoring in Africa and South America. In this study, a novel high-molecular-weight polysaccharide (CCP) from <italic>C. citratus</italic> was extracted, and its structural characteristics and anti-breast cancer activity <italic>in vitro</italic> were investigated. CCP contained both α and β configurations and mainly composed of galactose (36.89%), arabinose (23.97%), glucose (18.35%) and rhamnose (9.36%) with an average molecular weight of 1.98 × 10<sup>6</sup> Da. The main glycosyl residues of CCP detected by methylation analysis were 1,3,6-linked Gal<italic>p</italic>, 1,3-linked Glc<italic>p</italic>, 1,5-linked Ara<italic>f</italic> , T-Ara<italic>f</italic> , and T-Rha<italic>p</italic>. <italic>In vitro</italic> experiments suggested that CCP significantly inhibited the proliferation of MDA-MB-231 cells, decreased the expressions of cyclin D1 and CDK4 and stocked cells at G<sub>0</sub>/G<sub>1</sub> phase. Meanwhile, the typical morphological features of apoptotic cells were also observed. Combining with the consequences of Annexin V-FITC/PI staining, Hoechst 33258 staining and western blot analysis, CCP induced apoptosis of MDA-MB-231 cells by triggering the Fas/FasL-mediated death receptor pathway. Overall, these results provide a theoretical basis for the application of <italic>C. citratus</italic> polysaccharide as a potential anti-breast cancer agent in functional food and medicine.</p>