Immunomodulatory Activities of Mucopolysaccharides from Red Yams (Dioscorea spp.)

• Main Author: 易峻賢
• Other Authors: 陳瑞祥
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2010
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/77058421754705843392

碩士 === 國立嘉義大學 === 生化科技學系研究所 === 98 === The tubers of Dioscorea spp. have been used for preserve human’s health in China, Japan and some East Asia countries. Previous research indicated their function materials include anthocyanin and storage protein. The present study aimed to evaluate the immunomodulatory potentials of the polysaccharides extracted from the tubers of Tai-Nong No. 5 yam (TN5) and Ming-Jen yam (MJ). Both yams had 80% of DPPH radical scavenging activities at 1000 μg/ml extracted by ethanol. Mucopolysaccharides were purified by Sephacryl S-200 chromatography, but the molecular weights were not yet determined. By sulfate phenol test and DNS test, the mucopolysaccharide contents of TN5 and MJ yams were 4.6 and 8.3 mg in 10 g of tuber sample, respectively. Mucopolysaccharide-rich extract was examined for the ability to induce secretary and cellular responses in murine mouse BALB/c (Raw264.7) macrophage. The results showed that mucopolysaccharide was able to comparably up-regulate the phenotypic functions of macrophages such NO production and cytokine expression with 10 and 100 μg/ml for each yam during 18 to 24 hr. Both mucopolysaccharide extract of TN5 and MJ yam promoted NO up-regulation of Raw264.7 macrophage to 16.9 μM and 28.8 μM at 18 hr, respectively. Among cytokine genes assayed by RT-PCR, IL-1β was found to be significantly up-regulated. The protein expression of IL-1β was also observed 6 hr after treatment of MJ yam extract. According to this research, red yams had the immunomodulatory activities, and could be applied for the development of functional food.