The ZJMP-2 polysaccharide fraction from jujube, consisting of various sugars and acid, significantly enhances immune cell activity and stimulates lymphocyte proliferation.
The researchers isolated and purified a new water-soluble polysaccharide fraction, ZJMP-2, from the Jujube plant. Various scientific methods including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, high-performance gel permeation chromatography-laser light scattering, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and nuclear magnetic resonance analyses were employed to characterize ZJMP-2. This polysaccharide is composed of glucose, galactose, arabinose, rhamnose, and galacturonic acid. The study determined its molecular structure and variations that may contribute to its immunoregulatory effect.
In terms of the results, ZJMP-2 substantially increased the expression levels of proteins that are important in the immune response, resulting in the activation of macrophages - immune cells that destroy harmful organisms - and promoting the proliferation of lymphocytes - another type of immune cell. This resulted in observable activity in RAW264.7 cells and spleen lymphocytes. ZJMP-2 was also found to boost the heart, spleen, and bone marrow indices, along with spleen cell counts and peripheral blood cell counts. In addition, the number of heart and bone marrow cells in mice increased through the use of ZJMP-2.
