Pectic polysaccharide from Smilax china L. ameliorated ulcerative colitis by inhibiting the galectin-3/NLRP3 inflammasome pathway

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an inflammatory bowel disease that affects the colon and rectum. Although galectin-3 (Gal-3) has been reported to play a proinflammatory role in UC, it is unknown whether pectic polysaccharide, a Gal-3 inhibitor in tumor metastasis, can alleviate UC by inhibiting Gal-3. The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects and underlying mechanisms of SCLP, a pectic polysaccharide purified from Smilax china L. in our previous work, on dextran sulfate sodium-induced UC in BALB/c mice. The results showed that SCLP could significantly improve symptoms, alleviate histopathological damage and reduce the secretion of inflammatory mediators in mice with UC. Analysis of the anti-colitis mechanisms indicated that SCLP could inhibit the Gal-3/NLRP3 inflammasome/IL-1β pathway by suppressing the expression of Gal-3 and the interaction of Gal-3 and NLRP3. Our results suggested that SCLP could be a promising candidate for prevention and treatment of UC.