Partial characterization of the edible Spinacia oleracea polysaccharides: Cytoprotective and antioxidant potentials against Cd induced toxicity in HCT116 and HEK293 cells.

Spinacia is an interesting medicinal halophyte plant that is employed as a food and therapeutic agent in traditional medicine. In this work, water-soluble polysaccharides from Spinacia oleracea were extracted and preliminary characterization was established via FT-IR, UV-vis, 1H NMR and SEC/MALS DRI technics. The extracted polysaccharide, with an average molecular mass of 408 kDa, was composed of arabinose, galactose, mannose, glucose, rhamnose and xylose in the molar percentage of 49.3%, 28.1%, 4.9%, 7.8%, 8.2% and 1.7%, respectively. The polysaccharide showed significant antioxidant activity. Moreover, Spinacia polysaccharide, significantly prevented oxidation-induced Cd damage and exhibited a protective effect against Cd cytotoxicity on HEK293 and HCT116 cells, with an important cell viability decrease, an important reduction of MDA production and ROS levels. The outcomes obtained suggest that the Spinacia polysaccharides may be used as an accessible source of natural antioxidants and as potential phytochemicals against kidney and colon cancer.