The discovery of safe and effective plant polysaccharides with immunomodulatory effects has become a research hotspot. Raspberry is an essential commercial fruit and is widely distributed, cultivated, and consumed worldwide. In the present study, a homogeneous acidic polysaccharide (RPP-2a), with a weight-average molecular weight (Mw) of 55582 Da, was isolated from the pulp of raspberries through DEAE-Sepharose Fast Flow and Sephadex G-200 chromatography. RPP-2a consisted of rhamnose, arabinose, galactose, glucose, xylose, galacturonic acid and glucuronic acid, with a molar ratio of 15.4:9.6:7.6:3.2:9.1:54.3:0.8. The results of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (GC-MS), 1D-, and 2D-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analyses suggested that the backbone of RPP-2a was primarily composed of →2)-α-L-Rhap-(1→, →2,4)-α-L-Rhap-(1→, →4)-α-D-GalAp-(1→, and →3,4)-α-D-Glcp-(1→ sugar moieties, with side chains of α-L-Araf-(1→, α-L-Arap-(1→, and β-D-Galp-(1→3)-β-D-Galp-(1→ residues linked to the O-4 band of rhamnose and O-3 band of glucose residues. Furthermore, RPP-2a exhibited significant macrophage activation activity by increasing the production of nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cytokines at the transcriptional level in RAW264.7 cells. Overall, the results indicate that RPP-2a can be utilized as a potential natural immune-enhancing agent.

The extraction and characterization of new bioactive plant-derived polysaccharides with the potential for use as functional foods and medicine have attracted much attention. In the present study, A novel acidic polysaccharide (RPP-3a) with a weight-average molecular weight (Mw) of 88,997 Da was isolated from the raspberry pulp. RPP-3a was composed of rhamnose, arabinose, galactose, glucose, mannose, and galacturonic acid at a molar ratio of 13.1:28.6:16.8:1.4:6.2:33.9. Structural analysis suggested that the RPP-3a backbone was composed of repeating units of →4)-β-Galp-(1→3,4)-α-Rhap-(1→[4)-α-GalAp-(1→4)-α-GalAp-(1→]_n with branches at the C-4 position of rhamnose. The side chain of RPP-3a, containing two branch levels, was comprised of α-Araf-(1→, →5)-α-Araf-(1→, →3,5)-α-Araf-(1→, →3)-β-Galp-(1→, →3,6)-β-Galp-(1→, →4)-β-Glcp-(1→, and →2,6)-α-Manp-1→ residues. RPP-3a exhibited moderate reducing power and strong hydroxyl and superoxide anion radical scavenging abilities. RPP-3a significantly promoted the viability of RAW264.7 macrophages by increasing the production of nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) at both the expression and transcriptional levels. In summary, the immunostimulatory and antioxidant activities make RPP-3a a viable candidate as a health-beneficial functional dietary supplement.

Inflammation is the primary pathological process of myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury (MI/RI). 7-Hydroxyflavone (HF), a natural flavonoid with a variety of bioactivities, plays a crucial role in various biological processes. However, its cardioprotective effects and the underlying mechanisms of MI/RI have not been investigated. This study aimed to explore whether pretreatment with HF could attenuate MI/RI-induced inflammation in rats and investigate its potential mechanisms. The results showed that pretreatment with HF could significantly improve the anatomic data and electrocardiograph parameters, reduce the myocardial infarct size, decrease markers of myocardial injury (aspartate transaminase, creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, and cardiac troponin I), inhibit inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α), suppress oxidative stress, and recover the architecture of the cardiomyocytes. The cardioprotective effect of HF was connected with the regulation of the MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway. What is more, molecular docking was carried out to prove that HF could be stably combined with p38, ERK1/2, JNK, and NF-κB. In summary, this is a novel study demonstrating the cardioprotective effects of HF against MI/RI in vivo. Consequently, these results demonstrate that HF can be considered a promising potential therapy for MI/RI.

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a primary environmental factor responsible for skin photodamage, and exposure to UV rays is strongly linked to a variety of skin diseases. This study examined the prophylactic and therapeutic effects of Seed Oil of Lycium barbarum L. from the Qaidam basin (QLBSO) in a UV-induced skin photodamage model in BALB/c mice, exploring potential mechanisms by analyzing the skin microbiota and metabolites using 16S rDNA sequencing and metabolomics. The results showed that QLBSO effectively alleviated UV-induced histopathological changes in mouse skin. It also significantly increased the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) in UV-damaged skin tissue, while reducing levels of inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin-1β (IL-1β), as well as matrix metalloproteinases-1 (MMP-1) and MMP-3. Omics analysis revealed that QLBSO successfully restored the balance of the skin microbiota and corrected disruptions in amino acid metabolism caused by UV exposure. Notably, Firmicutes_A and Kineothrix, along with cysteine, cystine, glycine, arginine, proline, and choline, were identified as key microbial species and metabolites responsive to QLBSO’s prophylactic and therapeutic effects. In conclusion, QLBSO likely protects against UV-induced skin photodamage by modulating the skin microbiota and amino acid metabolism, providing a scientific foundation for its potential use in skin health protection.