Structural characterization and in vitro osteogenic activity of ABPB-4, a heteropolysaccharide from the rhizome of Achyranthes bidentata

Abstract Achyranthes bidentata is a species of flowering plant that is mainly distributed in China. The A. bidentata rhizome is a famous traditional Chinese medicine that has been widely used to treat lumbago, arthritis, and bone hyperplasia. In this work, A. bidentata rhizome was isolated and purified to obtain a pectic polysaccharide (ABPB-4). Chemical and spectral analyses showed that ABPB-4 had a main chain of →4)-α- d -GalpA-(1→ and →2,4)-α- l -Rhap-(1→, and the branch chains included →4)-β- d -Galp-(1→, →6)-β- d -Galp-(1→, →3,6)-β- d -Galp-(1→, →5)-α- l -Araf-(1→ and →3,5)-α- l -Araf-(1→, and it was terminated with α- l -Araf-(1→ and β- d -Galp-(1→. At concentrations of 0.01, 0.02, and 0.04 μmol/L, ABPB-4 significantly promotes the proliferation, differentiation, and mineralization of MC3T3-E1 cells in vitro, and it appreciably enhances the mRNA expression levels of osteogenic-related genes in these cells. Overall, the results reported herein indicate that ABPB-4 has outstanding osteogenic activity, and that it may be used as an anti-osteoporosis agent in the future.