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Approximately 110 types of medicinal materials are listed in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, both for medicinal purposes and for use as food. There are several domestic scholars who have carried out research on edible plant medicine in China and the results are satisfactory. Though these related articles have appeared in domestic magazines and journals, many of them are yet to be translated into English. Most of the research stays in the extraction and quantitative testing stage, and there are a few medicinal and edible plants that are still under in-depth study. A majority of these edible and herbal plants are also highly enriched in polysaccharides, and this has an effect on immune systems for the prevention of cancer, inflammation, and infection. Comparing the polysaccharide composition of medicinal and edible plants, the monosaccharide and polysaccharide species were identified. It is found that different polysaccharides of different sizes have different pharmacological properties, with some polysaccharides containing special monosaccharides. The pharmacological properties of polysaccharides can be summarized as immunomodulatory, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, antihypertensive and anti-hyperlipemic, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties. There have been no poisonous effects found in studies of plant polysaccharides, probably because the substances have a long history of use and are safe. In this paper, the application potential of polysaccharides in medicinal and edible plants in Xinjiang was reviewed, and the research progress in the extraction, separation, identification, and pharmacology of these plant polysaccharides was reviewed. At present, the research progress of plant polysaccharides in medicines and food in Xinjiang has not been reported. This paper will provide a data summary for the development and utilization of medical and food plant resources in Xinjiang.

Objective: To study the structure of BRAP-1, an acidic polysaccharide from Brassica rapa L. and its effect and mechanism on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced lung injury in mice. Methods: The chemical composition, molecular mass, structure and monosaccharide composition were analyzed by the phenol-sulfuric acid method, the m-hydroxydiphenyl method, the Coomassie brilliant blue method, high performance gel permeation chromatography (HPGPC), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and gas chromatography-mass chromatography (GC-MS). The mice in the control and model groups were gavaged with 0.5 mL/d of phosphate buffered saline (PBS) and those in the BRAP-1 groups 50, 100 and 200 mg/(kg mb·d) of BRAP-1 for 10 days, respectively. A lung injury model was established by intratracheal LPS infusion. Lung wet/dry mass ratio, broncho-alveolar lavage fluid (BALF) protein concentration and total cell count were measured and hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was performed to evaluate histopathological changes. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to determine the contents of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-10 and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) in the serum of mice in each group. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to determine the mRNA expression of tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR), Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), nuclear factor kappa B p65 (NF-κB p65), IL-1β and NOD-like receptor 3 (NLRP3) in lung tissue. Results: Compared with the model group, BRAP-1 alleviated the pathological changes of lung tissue such as edema, alveolar infiltration, protein exudation and excessive cytokines release in mice with lung injury, and significantly decreased the mRNA expression of key genes in the NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway. Conclusion: BRAP-1 has a significantly protective effect on LPS-induced lung injury in mice, and the mechanism may be associated with the regulation of the NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway.