AUTHOR=Zhu Yingying , Dun Baoqing , Shi Zhenxing , Wang Yuanji , Wu Li , Yao Yang 

TITLE=Structural characterization and bioactivity evaluation of water-extractable polysaccharides from chickpeas (Cicer arietinum L.) seeds

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Nutrition

VOLUME=9

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2022.946736

DOI=10.3389/fnut.2022.946736

ISSN=2296-861X

ABSTRACT=<p>Two water-extractable polysaccharide fractions designated as CWP (7. 37 × 10<sup>5</sup> Da) and CWP-0.2 (1.58 × 10<sup>4</sup> Da) were isolated and purified from chickpea (<italic>Cicer arietinum</italic> L.) seeds. The chemical structure of the two polysaccharides was characterized by various methods. Monosaccharide composition and methylation analysis showed that CWP was composed of Man and Glc in a molar ratio of 44.6:55.4, and CWP-0.2 was composed of Rha, Ara, Man, Glc, and Gal in a molar ratio of 10.6:23.3:5.2:4.9:56. Further structural characterization indicated that the main chain connection of CWP was → (2-β-d-Fru<italic>f</italic>-1) n →, and the main chain connection of CWP-0.2 was explored as → 2,4)-α-l-Rha<italic>p</italic>-(1 → 3)-α-d-Gal<italic>p</italic>-(1 → with the branched chain of → 2,4)-α-l-Rha<italic>p</italic>-(1 → o-4. Besides, both CWP and CWP-0.2 had antioxidant and immunoregulatory activity <italic>in vitro</italic>, through scavenging DPPH· and ABTS·<sup>+</sup> as well as stimulating production of NO, IL-6, TNF-α and MCP-1 in RAW 264.7 macrophages. CWP-0.2 revealed significantly higher bioactivity than CWP.</p>