RESUMEN
Objective: To clarify the structure features of polysaccharides from Chrysanthemum morifolium (PCM) and to study their activities against tumor cells and NF-κB. Methods: Six homogeneous neutral polysaccharides were obtained from three kinds of C. morifolium (Hangju, Huaiju, and Boju) flowers by successive hot water extraction, followed by ethanol precipitation, ion-exchange chromatography, and gel permeation chromatography. Their primary structures were characterized by HPGPC, IR, GC, and GC-MS analyses. Their bioactivities were examined by MTT assay using PANC-1 and LO2 cells. In addition, NF-κB signaling activation in PANC-1 and LO2 cells treated by polysaccharides were also measured. Results: The weight-average molecular mass of the six PCM, CMTA0S1, CMTA0S3, CMJA0S1, CMJA0S2, CMBA0S1, and CMBA0S3 was 7.523 × 104, 7.80 × 103, 7.80 × 104, 1.04 × 104, 5.79 × 104, and 1.35 × 104, respectively. CMTA0S1, CMJA0S1, and CMBA0S1 mainly contained galactose (Gal), arabinose (Ara) and glucose (Glc) residues in molar ratio of 1.23:1.00:0.20, 2.18:1.00:0.53, and 3.30:1.00:0.75, while CMTA0S3, CMJA0S2, and CMBA0S3 mainly contained Gal, Ara, Glc, and mannose (Man) residues in molar ratio of 0.73:1.00:0.40:0.21, 1.39:1.00:0.84: 0.55, and 1.19:1.00:0.48:0.19. Methylation analysis indicated that six PCM primarily consisted of T-arabinofuranosyl, 1, 5-arabinofuranosyl, 1, 4-galactopyranosyl, 1, 3, 6-galactopyranosyl, and 1, 4-glucopyranosyl residues. The biological activity study suggested that all the PCM could inhibit the growth of PANC-1 cells. Among them the inhibitory rates of CMTA0S3 and CMJA0S2 were at most to 70% with concentration-effect relationship. The NF-κB inhibition test indicated that only the crude polysaccharide CMBA had strong immunosuppressive activity, and homogeneous polysaccharides CMTA0S1 and CMJA0S1 showed potential immunostimulation. Conclusion: The six homogeneous polysaccharides share similar structures and inhibition on PANC-1 cells growth. Meanwhile they also may regulate the NF-κB activation.