Rhamnogalacturonan from Ilex paraguariensis: A potential adjuvant in sepsis treatment

Abstract The present study evaluated the anti-inflammatory activity of a polysaccharide from mate, using a clinically relevant model of sepsis induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). A polysaccharide from mate (SPI) was obtained from aqueous extraction followed by fractionation, being identified as a rhamnogalacturonan with a main chain of →4)-6- O Me-α- d -Gal p A-(1→ groups, interrupted by α- l -Rha p units, substituted by a type I arabinogalactan. SPI was tested against induced-polymicrobial sepsis, at doses of 3, 7 and 10 mg/kg. Via oral administration, SPI prevented the late mortality of infected mice by a rate of 60% at 10 mg/kg, in comparison with untreated mice Dexamethasone, used as positive control, was slightly less effective, with an overall survival rate of 16.7% of mice at the end of the observation period. SPI also affected neutrophil influx, avoiding its accumulation in lungs, and significantly decreased tissue expression of iNOS and COX-2. In this context, mate is a potential nutraceutical, and its polysaccharide a promising adjuvant for sepsis treatment, being consumed as tea-like beverages with no related adverse effects.