AI Article Synopsis
- Edible snails, particularly Achatina fulica, contain a unique glycosaminoglycan (AF-GAG) that has potential health benefits and medicinal uses.
- The structure of AF-GAG was thoroughly analyzed using various chemical techniques, revealing it consists of iduronic acid and N-acetyl-glucosamine with a high average molecular weight of 118kDa.
- Although AF-GAG does not demonstrate anticoagulant activity, its structural similarity to heparin suggests it may possess other bioactivities, such as inhibiting heparanase, which warrants further investigation.
Article Abstract
Edible snails have been widely used as a health food and medicine in many countries. A unique glycosaminoglycan (AF-GAG) was purified from Achatina fulica. Its structure was analyzed and characterized by chemical and instrumental methods, such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, analysis of monosaccharide composition, and 1D/2D nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Chemical composition analysis indicated that AF-GAG is composed of iduronic acid (IdoA) and N-acetyl-glucosamine (GlcNAc) and its average molecular weight is 118kDa. Structural analysis clarified that the uronic acid unit in glycosaminoglycan (GAG) is the fully epimerized and the sequence of AF-GAG is →4)-α-GlcNAc (1→4)-α-IdoA2S (1→. Although its structure with a uniform repeating disaccharide is similar to those of heparin and heparan sulfate, this GAG is structurally highly regular and homogeneous. Anticoagulant activity assays indicated that AF-GAG exhibits no anticoagulant activities, but considering its structural characteristic, other bioactivities such as heparanase inhibition may be worthy of further study.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.carbpol.2017.10.091 | DOI Listing |
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