The structural discrepancy between the ability of fructan and arabinogalactan to cure acute pharyngitis in Hosta plantaginea (Lam.) Aschers flowers.

The flowers of Hosta plantaginea (Lam.), a traditional Chinese medicine, is utilized for the treatment of sore throat, aphonia, and cough alleviation. The polysaccharides HPFP-1 and HPFP-2 were separated from these plants through water-soluble alcohol precipitation and column chromatography. After structural analysis (monosaccharide composition, methylation and NMR), The →1)-β-D-Fruf-(2→ and →1,6)-β-D-Fruf-(2→, →6)-α-D-Glcp were interconnected to form the main chain of HPFP-1. The →3,6)-β-D-Galp-(1→, →5)-α-L-Araf-(1→, and →3)-β-D-Galp-6-OMe(1→, →6)-β-D-Galp-(1→, →4)-α-D-Galp-(1→ were interconnected to form the main chain of HPFP-2. In acute pharyngitis rats, HPFP effectively increased the level of NO, decreased the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6, and reduced macrophage and neutrophil infiltration. In the LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cell model, HPFP-1 and HPFP-2 decreased the levels of NO, TNF-α, IL-6, p-p65, and p-IκB, which demonstrated the anti-inflammatory mechanism of these two polysaccharides through the inhibition of the NF-κB signaling pathway. Therefore, they have the potential to be highly effective drugs for combating acute pharyngitis.