Astragalus polysaccharides are composed of hexuronic acid, glucose, fructose, rhamnose, arabinose, galacturonic acid, and glucuronic acid. It can be used as an immune enhancer or regulator and has anti-viral, anti-tumor, anti-aging, anti-radiation, anti-stress, and antioxidant effects.

Health Benefits

Effect on the immune system

1.1 Effect on non-specific immune function

Astragalus polysaccharide (APS) can significantly enhance non-specific immune function and humoral immune function, significantly enhance the percentage and index of phagocytosis of sheep red blood cells in mice, promote the formation of serum hemolysin, and improve the hemolytic function and obvious carbon dissociation profile of plaque-forming cells. The effect significantly increases spleen weight. Further separation of astragalus polysaccharide resulted in three monomer polysaccharides: 123. Experiments were conducted separately. The results showed that polysaccharide 1 could increase spleen weight and cell number, but inhibit the immune response of spleen cells to sheep red blood cells. 2 is similar to 1 but weaker, polysaccharide 3 has no effect. Astragalus saponin can promote the proliferation and differentiation of lymph node B cells and the formation of plasma cell antibodies. Astragalus promotes the formation of immune-specific rosettes of mouse lymphocytes on sheep blood cells. Astragalus polysaccharide significantly enhanced the phagocytic luminescence intensity of macrophages and inhibited the release of PGE2, but further promoted the release of TNF. Cyclooxygenase inhibition by ibuprofen significantly inhibits the release of PGE2 and TNF but has no significant effect on phagocytic function. Therefore, it can be suggested that the combination of immune activators and cyclooxygenase inhibitors is expected to become a new drug treatment option for trauma infections.

1.2 Effect on humoral immunity

Astragalus has a significant promoting effect on the normal body’s antibody production function. Astragalus exhibits various physiological activities in humoral immunity, enhancing the phagocytic activity of mononuclear macrophages, releasing immune active substances to somatic cells and natural killer cells, inducing interferons and interleukins, etc. One of its antiviral principles may be to improve the ability of patients’ white blood cells to induce interferon. Normal people’s IgE3 increases significantly after taking Astragalus whole plant extract tablets. Astragalus can promote the phagocytosis function of macrophages, promote the proliferation of B cells, and inhibit total complement activity. It has an inducing effect on the production of interleukin, promotes the immune-specific rosette formation of mouse lymphocytes on sheep blood cells, and has a significant protective effect on the low immune function caused by immunosuppressants. It is an immune regulator with two-way effects. agent. Astragalus polysaccharide is a type of substance with strong immune activity in Astragalus. It can enhance the phagocytic function of phagocytes. From the spleen and thymus weight, hemolysin, hemagglutinin, total number of spleen cells, and plaque-forming cells, it can be seen that astragalus polysaccharide, Red stilbene polysaccharide can completely or partially antagonize the immunosuppressive effects of cyclophosphamide or prednisolone.

1.3 Effect on cellular immunity Astragalus can promote somatic cellular immune function.

Its effect of enhancing the immune function of human blood lymphocytes may be due to the partial reduction of inhibitory T cell activity. Astragalus polysaccharides can increase the gene transcription expression of IL-2mRNA and IL-2RmRNA in activated T lymphocytes after trauma by regulating the content and promoting phosphatidylinositol metabolism, which may be one of the mechanisms of astragalus polysaccharides to correct post-traumatic low cellular immune function. The regulatory effect of astragalus on T cells and the cytokines they secrete may be related to its regulation of the production of IgG subclasses.

1.4 Effect on Natural Killer Cells

Astragalus can protect target cells from T cell activity, but its degree is not as strong as its effect on promoting T cell activity. It improves NK cell activity by inducing lymphocytes to produce type II interferon mediators. Therefore, it is believed that NK cells may be the precursor cells of T cells, and the effect of Astragalus on NK cells is consistent with its activation effect on T cells.

1.5 Effect on interferon induction

Astragalus has a significant stimulating effect on the interferon system, including self-induction, promotion of induction, and activity. Astragalus itself has a certain anti-tumor effect. Astragalus polysaccharide (5 mg/kg) has a similar anti-tumor effect to IL-2/LAK and has a significant enhancement effect on the anti-tumor effect of IL-2/LAK.

Effect on body metabolism

2.1 Effect on cell metabolism

By observing the growth of human fetal kidney cells, human fetal lung diploid cells, and mouse kidney cells in a nutrient solution containing astragalus, it was found that astragalus can enhance the physiological metabolism of the cells. After mice were given water decoction and normal people took dried astragalus extract tablets, the plasma CAMp content was significantly increased. SC Astragalus injection in mice can significantly increase the total number of white blood cells and the number of multinucleated white blood cells. Astragalus can also promote the formation, development, and maturation process of various types of blood cells, and promote the hematopoietic function of bone marrow. For liver cells cultured in vitro, Astragalus can promote RNA and protein synthesis, suggesting that it can extend cell life, enhance cell metabolism, and delay aging.

2.2 Effect on nucleic acid metabolism

The degree to which astragalus polysaccharide (APS) inhibits the activity of free RN-ase is: kidney < liver < lung < spleen. This result should be explained by the relative increase rate of the equilibrium reaction. The effect of APS is significant in low RI tissues. Astragalus has an inhibitory effect on the RNA metabolism of human lung diploid cells. Astragalus decoction can significantly promote the synthesis of DNA in bone marrow hematopoietic cells and accelerate the process of nucleated cell division. Astragalus saponin can significantly increase the DNA content of a regenerated liver, while astragalus polysaccharide has no obvious effect on DNA metabolism.

2.3 Effects on cyclic nucleotides

Astragalus decoction can significantly increase the content of cyclic nucleotides (cAMP and cGMP) in mouse plasma and tissues, and its effects on different organs are different; administration increases cAMP and decreases cGMP; the opposite is true for the liver; and both increase in the spleen. Further experiments show that the effect of Astragalus on cAMP is caused by its inhibition of cyclic adenosine monophosphate-phosphodiesterase (cAMP-PDE).

2.4 Effects on protein and other metabolism

Giving mice astragalus decoction by gavage for 10 days can significantly increase the rate of H-leucine incorporated into serum and liver proteins without affecting the protein content. That is, astragalus can promote serum and protein renewal in mice. It is believed that the polysaccharides in it are likely to be effective ingredients in promoting protein renewal. Astragalus saponin 100g/kg intragastric administration also has similar effects. Astragalus tends to increase blood sugar levels in animals with insulin-induced hypoglycemia, but the increase is small.

Effects on the cardiovascular system

3.1 Effects on the heart

The decoction of Astragalus has no significant effect on isolated frog hearts, while the alcohol extract can enhance the contraction of isolated frog or toad hearts, significantly expand the amplitude, and produce inhibition at high doses. Therefore, Astragaloside may achieve a cardiotonic effect through NA and K-ATPase. It is reported that Astragaloside can increase the content of lactate dehydrogenase and succinate dehydrogenase in human myocardial cells to varying degrees. The above suggests that Astragaloside has a calcium antagonist effect, which can reduce the intramyocardial CA flow caused by a viral infection and may reduce the secondary CA damage of infected cells, and has an inhibitory effect on the replication of viral RNA in cells, showing its application value in the clinical treatment of viral myocarditis. However, a single dose of Astragaloside has no preventive effect on CVB3 myocarditis. Astragaloside has a positive inotropic effect on the myocardium, similar to cardiac glycosides. Experiments have shown that total Astragaloside can significantly improve the cardiac contractility of dogs with myocardial infarction, enhance coronary flow, and protect cardiac function. Studies have shown that the anti-oxidative free radical effect of Astragalus may be one of its cardiotonic mechanisms. Astragaloside IV injection is an effective non-digitalis-positive inotropic drug.

3.2 Effects on blood vessels and blood pressure

Astragalus has the effect of dilating blood vessels and coronary arteries. Therefore, it is believed that its antihypertensive effect is the result of direct dilation of peripheral blood vessels, and has no dependence on the heart, nor is it related to the release of histamine or the action of adrenergic receptors. This shows that the effect of Astragalus on blood pressure is related to central nervous peptides, the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, the carnosine-releasing enzyme-carnosine system, and hydroxyproline. The antihypertensive component of Astragalus was once believed to be an alkaline substance, but later it was discovered that the roots of Astragalus plants contain aminobutyric acid, and its content is almost completely parallel to the strength of the antihypertensive effect, so it is considered to be an effective antihypertensive component. In terms of vascular effects, aminobutyric acid cannot fully represent Astragalus. Astragalus can promote the migration and proliferation of vascular endothelial cells to varying degrees, which is beneficial to the process of angiogenesis. Saponins such as astragalosides II, III, and IV and isoflavone compounds such as formononetin and calycosin in Astragalus membranaceus have a significant improvement on the deformability of hatched erythrocytes, which may be an important mechanism for Astragalus membranaceus to improve blood rheology indicators. An important part of the effect of Astragalus on the human erythrocyte membrane may be to protect the human erythrocyte membrane from the attack of free radicals.

Effect on stress response

4.1 Anti-fatigue effect

Intraperitoneal injection of 250 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg of astragalus polysaccharide significantly prolonged swimming time at room temperature in normal mice and mice with “yang deficiency” caused by hydrocortisone, and increased the adrenal gland weight of mice under stress. . Astragalus extract can significantly increase the plasma cortisol content, adrenal gland weight, and lipid vacuole content in adrenocortical cells of rats under swimming stress. Cerebral hypoxia caused by ligation of the carotid arteries on both sides has a significant antagonistic effect and can significantly prolong the survival time of mice.

4.2 Low-temperature and high-temperature resistance

Intraperitoneal injection of 250mg/kg and 500mg/kg of Astragalus polysaccharide can significantly enhance the low-temperature resistance of normal mice, hungry mice, and mice treated with hydrocortisone, and significantly increase the survival time; but there is no obvious high-temperature resistance. 5.4.3 Anti-radiation effect Astragalus total flavonoids have a certain protective effect on the damage to the immune system caused by radiation. Its mechanism of action may be related to the antioxidant and free radical scavenging effects of Astragalus total flavonoids, which prevent immune cells from damage by lipid peroxidation. At the same time, Astragalus total flavonoids may also have the function of changing the energy metabolism of immune cells and promoting lymphocyte division.

Anti-aging effect Long-term use Astragalus has a certain significance in preventing senile arteriosclerosis and improving aging lung function. In vitro cultured human embryonic lung diploid fibroblasts survived to 52 generations, while cells cultured with 0.2% Astragalus extract survived to 77 generations. The changes in organelles during aging in the drug group were the same as those in the control group, but the degree of change was mild and the rate of change was relatively slow. In particular, the Golgi complex of the drug group cells was particularly developed. Although the cells were senescent, they were not very senescent. Studies have shown that Astragalus has a good effect on prolonging life. As a drug for anti-aging and longevity, it deserves great attention and development.
Effect on the urinary system

Intravenous injection of Astragalus injection can significantly increase serum albumin and significantly reduce serum cholesterol in the rat model of minimal change nephropathy, increase the blood supply of glomerular capillary filaments, and also significantly reduce scrotal edema and ascites. , the diet and mental state of the animals in the administration group were also better than those in the control group; Astragalus could significantly reduce the amount of protein in urine; pathological observation also proved that the lesions in the Astragalus group were reduced, and this inhibitory effect on nephritis may be related to the enhancement of metabolism by Astragalus, related to improving the nutritional status of the whole body. Astragalus can reduce renal lesions in spontaneous lupus mice through immunomodulatory effects.

Hepatoprotective effect

Astragalus has the effect of protecting the liver and preventing the reduction of liver glycogen. Two astragaloside glycosides ASI and SK can resist liver damage caused by D-galactosamine and acetaminophen. Astragaloside is the effective component of astragalus to resist liver toxicity. In addition to anti-biological oxidation, its mechanism is also related to metabolic regulation. Other studies have shown that astragalus has a certain effect on preventing liver fibrosis.

Effect on the central nervous system

Subcutaneous injection of Astragalus membranaceus can maintain a sedative effect for several hours in mice. Drinking 30% Astragalus membranaceus decoction for 15 days can enhance the learning and memory of mice. Experiments show that Astragalus membranaceus is beneficial to the storage of information in the mouse brain

Effect on smooth muscle

5% and 10% decoction of Astragalus membranaceus can significantly increase the tension of rabbit intestine in vivo, slow down peristalsis, and increase amplitude; it has an inhibitory effect on rabbit isolated intestine and uterus. Astragalus membranaceus saponins can reduce the tension of guinea pig isolated ileum.

Hormone-like effects

Astragalol and astragalosterol in Astragalus extract had no significant effect on the body weight, levator ani muscle, or kidney weight of rats and mice, indicating that it had no anabolic or androgenic effects.

Antibacterial and antiviral effects

Astragalus polysaccharide has a significant antagonistic effect on tuberculosis infection; other ingredients such as amino acids, alkaloids, flavonoids, etc. have been found to have significant anti-follicular stomatitis virus effects. Animal and trans-chemical cell experiments have shown that Astragalus injection has a certain blocking effect on the infection process of epidemic hemorrhagic fever virus (EHFV) in suckling mice. Astragalus has in vitro effects on Shigella dysentery, Bacillus anthracis, a-active Streptococcus sanguinis, Streptococcus sanguinis, Bacillus diphtheriae, Bacillus pseudodiphtheriae, Diplococcus pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus citrine, Staphylococcus albus and Bacillus subtilis, etc. Has an antibacterial effect.

Anti-tumor effect

Astragalus polysaccharide has a significant inhibitory effect on a variety of experimental tumor oils. Animal experiments have shown that Astragalus polysaccharide has similar anti-tumor effects to IL-2/LAK, and has a significant enhancement effect on the anti-tumor effect of IL-2/LAK. The combination of the two can significantly increase the killing power of LAK cells against target cells. The dynamic cellular immune function observation of the two combined showed that both have the effect of resisting the decrease in the activity of mouse spleen NK cells and the ability to produce IL-2. This shows that the anti-tumor effect of Astragalus polysaccharide is related to the effect of enhancing the body’s immune function. It can improve the body’s immune function caused by tumors, promote the activation of immune cells to release endogenous factors, prevent peroxidation, and thus cause the killing and inhibition of tumor cells. It is used to treat chicken Marek’s disease.

Effect on trauma infection

Pharmacological experiments on experimental mouse trauma showed that astragalus polysaccharide can significantly enhance the phagocytic luminescence intensity of macrophages and inhibit the release of PCE2, further promoting the release of TNF. The combination of immune activator astragalus polysaccharide and cyclooxygenase inhibitor ibuprofen not only enhanced the phagocytic luminescence intensity of macrophages but also significantly inhibited the secretion of PGE2 and IL-1 of TNF. It can be seen that the combination of immune activator and cyclooxygenase inhibitor is expected to become a new drug treatment for trauma infection.

Protective effect

Zhang Yan et al. found that astragalus polysaccharide has a significant protective effect on experimental liver injury, can significantly counteract the serum alanine aminotransferase of mice caused by carbon tetrachloride and paracetamol, and has a significant protective effect on the pathological tissue changes of mice caused by the two.

Regulation of blood sugar

APs have a bidirectional regulatory effect. It can significantly reduce the blood sugar of mice loaded with glucose, and can also significantly counteract the blood sugar increase reaction of mice caused by adrenaline, and it can also significantly counteract the experimental hypoglycemia of mice caused by phenformin. However, it has no significant effect on insulin-induced hypoglycemia.

Antiviral effect of Astragalus polysaccharide

Astragalus polysaccharide is an interferon inducer. Its antiviral principle is to stimulate the function of macrophages and T cells, increase the number of E-ring forming cells, induce cytokines, promote interleukin induction, and make the animal body produce endogenous interferon, thereby achieving the purpose of antiviral.

Antibacterial effect of Astragalus polysaccharide

The antibacterial mechanism is multifaceted. On the one hand, it is the direct inhibition and detoxification of the drug on bacteria and their toxic products. On the other hand, it is more important to mobilize the body’s immune defense function to play a role in strengthening the body, eliminating evil, inhibiting bacteria, and killing bacteria. It has antibacterial effects on Shigella dysenteriae, anthrax bacteria, a b-type Streptococcus pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella.

Intestinal healthcare effect

Astragalus polysaccharide can increase the number of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria in the intestines of chicks, can significantly reduce the number of Escherichia coli, can effectively promote the proliferation of beneficial intestinal microorganisms, and has an inhibitory effect on harmful intestinal bacteria. The metabolites are short-chain fatty acids, which can reduce the intestinal pH. On the one hand, the low pH can stimulate intestinal peristalsis, thereby reducing the number of pathogenic bacteria. On the other hand, the acidic environment is conducive to the proliferation of beneficial bacteria such as lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria. At the same time, beneficial bacteria produce metabolites with antibacterial activity such as hydrogen peroxide and organic acids during the proliferation process, which can inhibit the survival of pathogenic harmful bacteria and exogenous pathogens.