Fagus sylvatica glucuronoxylan sulfate−chemical profile and pharmacological view

• Published in: Starch Vol. 68; no. 7-8; pp. 621 - 628
• Main Authors: Sivová, Veronika, Nosál'ová, Gabriela, Jureček, L'udovít, Turjan, Jozef, Vlčková, Silvia, Bystrický, Peter, Kantárová, Dana, Capek, Peter
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-07-2016; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Antitussive activity; Fagus sylvatica; Glucuronoxylan sulfate; Hemicellulose
• ISSN: 0038-9056; 1521-379X
• DOI: 10.1002/star.201500122

Glucuronoxylans represent a large group of naturally occurring and renewable biopolymers with a wide range of application possibilities. Controlled depolymerization of Fagus sylvatica 4‐O‐methylglucuronoxylan afforded three fractions of descending molecular mass, i.e., 3000, 2600, and 1800 g/mol. The native polymer (GX1) and its depolymerized fractions (GX2, GX3, and GX4) were decorated by functional groups to give sulfated products (GXS1, GXS2, GXS3, and GXS4) which were used for pharmacological tests. Antitussive activity tests revealed that the increase in the dose of the glucuronoxylan sulfate (GXS1) from 50 to 100 mg/kg body weight resulted in only slightly increased cough‐suppressing effect. This fact indicates that the cough‐suppressing effect of the glucuronoxylan sulfate is not dose dependent. Results have shown significant cough‐suppressing effect of GXS1, it was only slightly lower than the effect of narcotic codeine. Glucuronoxylan‐derived fractions decorated by sulfates (GXS2, GXS3, and GXS4) showed similar cough‐suppressing effect as the polymer‐sulfate (GXS1) confirming thus that the changes in molecular mass does not affect the cough suppressive activity. Similarly, different contents of sulfate groups in GXS2, GXS3, and GXS4 did not influence their effect. Tests have shown that in the antitussive activity of all glucuronoxylan sulfates a bronchodilation was not involved. During the experiment course, no serious side effects after administration of glucuronoxylan sulfates were observed which is important fact from the application point of view.