Structural features of an acidic polysaccharide with the potential of promoting osteoblast differentiation fromLycium ruthenicumMurr.

The enhanced osteoblast differentiation is beneficial to the prevention of osteoporosis. In this study, a homogeneous polysaccharide (LRP-S2A) with the potential of promoting osteoblast differentiation was obtained from the fruits ofLycium ruthenicum, a traditional herb for treatment of postmenopausal metabolic disorders. Structural identification indicated that LRP-S2A, with a relative molecular weight of 2.65 x 10(6) Da and an uronic acid content of 41.8%, contained Rha, Ara, Gal, Glc and GlcA in a molar ratio of 1.00 : 2.07 : 0.57 : 2.59 : 4.33 and was composed of a backbone consisting of 6-O-Me-alpha-(1 -> 4)-D-GlcpA, 2-O-acetyl-alpha-(1 -> 4)-D-Glcp, alpha-(1 -> 2,4)-L-Rhap, beta-(1 -> 3)-D-Galpand alpha-(1 -> 3,5)-L-Araf, and some branches consisting of 6-O-Me-alpha-(1 -> 4)-D-GlcpA and terminal alpha-L-Araf. These results suggested that LRP-S2A with the potential of promoting osteoblast differentiation was a new acidic polysaccharide.