Cordyceps Sinensis: Anti-fibrotic and inflammatory effects of a cultured polysaccharide extract

Publication date: Available online 1 August 2017
Source:Bioactive Carbohydrates and Dietary Fibre
Author(s): Danfei Huang, Soma Meran, Shao-Ping Nie, Adam Midgley, Junqiao Wang, Steve W. Cui, Mingyong Xie, Glyn O. Phillips, Aled O. Phillips
It has been suggested that the traditional Chinese herbal preparation Cordyceps Sinensis (CS) may have a beneficial effect in renal disease. To satisfy increasing demand, CS derivatives have been produced by aseptic mycelia cultivation. We have demonstrated antifibrotic activity of cultured CS previously. The aim of this study was to examine bioactivity of a polysaccharide isolated from cultured CS with a complicated monosaccharide composition, mainly consisting of Gal, Glc and Man.This polysaccharide antagonised the effect of TGF-β1 in stimulating the expression of collagen in the HK2 renal cell line. This was associated with down regulation of the TGF-β receptor Alk5. In addition the polysaccharide antagonised IL-1β stimulated sICAM-1 dependent adherence of monocytes to a monolayer of HK2 cell. This was associated with increased expression of the primary receptor for hyaluronan CD44, and was abrogated by removal of the cell surface hyaluronan pericellular coat.In summary we describe both anti-fibrotic and anti-inflammatory activity in a polysaccharide isolated from cultured CS.

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