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Activity and Structural Characteristics of Polysaccharides

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A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Bioorganic Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2025 | Viewed by 8406

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Ding-Tao Wu

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Guest Editor

Institute for Advanced Study, Chengdu University, Chengdu, China
Interests: polysaccharides; structural characterization; chemical modification; quality evaluation; metabolic disorders; gut microbiota
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Yong Deng

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Guest Editor

School of Pharmacy, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
Interests: polysaccharide extraction; quality control; analytical method development; molecular mechanism

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Polysaccharides are linear or branched macromolecular compounds composed of multiple monosaccharide units linked by glycosidic bonds, which can be widely found in plants, fungi, and algae. In recent years, the role of polysaccharides both in normal cellular function and in disease has attracted increasing attention, opening up a new frontier for research in the fields of food and medicine. The biological activities of polysaccharides are diverse, including immunomodulation, anti-diabetic effects, and the regulation of the gut microbiota, and are affected by their structural properties, such as molecular weight, type and proportion of constituent monosaccharides, glycosidic linkages, stereostructures, chain conformation, and so on. So far, many fascinating results have been achieved in the research and application of polysaccharides. However, there are still many problems to be solved in basic research. Therefore, we are putting together a Special Issue of the journal Molecules, entitled “Activity and structural characteristics of polysaccharides”, aiming to provide an overview of the most recent advances in the field of polysaccharide preparation techniques, characterization methods for structural and physical properties, and in-depth functional research.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

Advanced methods for extraction and isolation;
Advanced analytical methodologies for structure analysis;
Potential structure–bioactivity relationships;
Receptor identification and mechanism of action;
Advanced techniques for quality control.

Prof. Dr. Ding-Tao Wu
Dr. Yong Deng
Guest Editors

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Keywords

polysaccharides
extraction and isolation
biological activity
structural property
structure–activity relationship
quality evaluation

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

9 pages, 918 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Anticancer Activity In Vitro of Sulfated Polysaccharides from the Brown Alga Spatoglossum vietnamense

by Dinh Thanh Trung, Valerii Victorovich Surits, Anastasia Olegovna Zueva, Hang Thi Thuy Cao, Natalia Michailovna Shevchenko, Svetlana Pavlovna Ermakova and Pham Duc Thinh

Molecules 2024, 29(21), 4982; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29214982 - 22 Oct 2024

Viewed by 559

Abstract

Sulfated polysaccharides SpvF1, SpvF2, SpvF3, and SpvF4 from the brown alga S. vietnamense collected north of Hon Do (Nha Trang Bay, Vietnam) were isolated and studied. The structure of the obtained polysaccharide was studied using chemical methods and NMR spectroscopy. Fucoidans were low-sulfated (SpvF1, SpvF2) and medium-sulfated (SpvF3, SpvF4) heterogeneous polysaccharides. The molecular weight of the polysaccharides obtained was in the range of 16 to 44 kDa. All investigated fucoidans until 400 µg/mL were not cytotoxic for human colon carcinoma cells DLD-1, HCT-116, and HT-29 in vitro. Fucoidans SpvF1 and SpvF2 have inhibited the colony formation and growth of investigated cells from 20 to 30%. Fucoidans SpvF3 and SpvF4 have the strongest inhibitory effect for investigated cancer cells: from 40 to 50%. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Activity and Structural Characteristics of Polysaccharides)

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19 pages, 11858 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparative Study of the Structural Characteristics and Bioactivity of Polysaccharides Extracted from Aspidopterys obcordata Hemsl. Using Different Solvents

by Jia-Rui Yue, Jian-Mei Lu, Qing-Fei Fan, Peng Sun, Yang-Jian Li, Shi-Lin Zhou, Xin-Yue Wang, Jun-Mei Niu, You-Kai Xu and Jing Zhou

Molecules 2023, 28(24), 7977; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28247977 - 6 Dec 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1378

Abstract

The polysaccharides extracted from Aspidopterys obcordata are thought to have anti-urolithiasis activity in Drosophila kidney stones. This study aimed to assess the effects of different extraction solvents on the yield, chemical composition, and bioactivity of polysaccharides from A. obcordata. A. obcordata polysaccharides were extracted by using four solutions: hot water, HCl solution, NaOH solution, and 0.1 M NaCl. The results revealed that the extraction solvents significantly influenced the extraction yields, molecular weight distribution, monosaccharide compositions, preliminary structural characteristics, and microstructures of polysaccharides. The NaOH solution’s extraction yield was significantly higher than the other extraction methods. Vitro antioxidant activity assays revealed that the NaOH solution extracted exhibited superior scavenging abilities towards DPPH and ABTS radicals and higher FRAP values than other polysaccharides. The vitro assays conducted for calcium oxalate crystallization demonstrated that four polysaccharides exhibited inhibitory effects on the nucleation and aggregation of calcium oxalate crystals, impeded calcium oxalate monohydrate growth, and induced calcium oxalate dihydrate formation. The NaOH solution extracted exhibited the most pronounced inhibition of calcium oxalate crystal nucleation, while the hot water extracted demonstrated the most significant suppression of calcium oxalate crystal aggregation. Therefore, it can be inferred that polysaccharides extracted with NaOH solution exhibited significant potential as a viable approach for extracting polysaccharides from stems due to their superior yield and the remarkable bioactivity of the resulting products. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Activity and Structural Characteristics of Polysaccharides)

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13 pages, 4523 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Preparation and Characterization of a Novel Morphosis of Dextran and Its Derivatization with Polyethyleneimine

by Zhiming Jiang, Kaifeng Sun, Hao Wu, Weiliang Dong, Jiangfeng Ma and Min Jiang

Molecules 2023, 28(20), 7210; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28207210 - 21 Oct 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1190

Abstract

Dextran, a variant of α-glucan with a significant proportion of α-(1,6) bonds, exhibits remarkable solubility in water. Nonetheless, the precipitation of dextran has been observed in injection vials during storage. The present study aimed to establish a technique for generating insoluble dextran and analyze its structural properties. Additionally, the potential for positively ionizing IS-dextran with polyethyleneimine was explored, with the ultimate objective of utilizing IS-dextran-PEI as a promising support for enzyme immobilization. As a result, IS-dextran was obtained by the process of slow evaporation with an average molecular weight of 6555 Da and a yield exceeding 60%. The calculated crystallinity of IS-dextran, which reaches 93.62%, is indicative of its irregular and dense structure, thereby accounting for its water insolubility. Furthermore, positive charge modification of IS-dextran, coupled with the incorporation of epichlorohydrin, resulted in all zeta potentials of IS-dextran-PEIs exceeding 30 mV, making it a promising supporting factor for enzyme immobilization. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Activity and Structural Characteristics of Polysaccharides)

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12 pages, 10593 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Physicochemical Characterization of Dextran HE29 Produced by the Leuconostoc citreum HE29 Isolated from Traditional Fermented Pickle

by Hümeyra İspirli

Molecules 2023, 28(20), 7149; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28207149 - 18 Oct 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1393

Abstract

In this study, lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains were isolated from traditional fermented pickles, and among the identified strains, Leuconostoc citreum HE29 with a strong slimy colony profile was further selected to determine the physicochemical and techno-functional properties of its exopolysaccharide (EPS). Glucose was the only sugar monomer in the core unit of EPS HE29 detected by HPLC analysis, and glucan HE29 revealed 7.3 kDa of molecular weight. Structural characterization of glucan HE29 by ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy analysis demonstrated that EPS HE29 was a dextran-type EPS containing 5.3% levels of (1 → 3)-linked α-D-glucose units. This structural configuration was also supported by FT-IR analysis, which also demonstrated the functional groups within the dextran HE29 structure. In terms of thermal properties detected by TGA and DSC analysis, dextran HE29 demonstrated a degradation temperature of around 280 °C, showing its strong thermal features. A semi-crystalline nature was observed for dextran HE29 detected by XRD analysis. Finally, AFM and SEM analysis revealed tangled network-like properties and web-like branched structures for dextran HE29, respectively. These findings suggest the importance of plant-based fermented products as LAB sources in obtaining novel EPS structures with potential techno-functional roles. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Activity and Structural Characteristics of Polysaccharides)

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13 pages, 2747 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A New Exopolysaccharide from a Wood-Decaying Fungus Spongipellis borealis for a Wide Range of Biotechnological Applications

by Michał Fornal, Monika Osińska-Jaroszuk, Magdalena Jaszek, Dawid Stefaniuk, Adrian Wiater, Iwona Komaniecka, Łukasz Matuszewski and Anna Matuszewska

Molecules 2023, 28(16), 6120; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28166120 - 18 Aug 2023

Viewed by 1501

Abstract

Fungi are a unique natural resource rich in polysaccharides, proteins, and other components. Polysaccharides are considered one of the most important bioactive components in fungi. Increasing numbers of studies have confirmed that fungal polysaccharides have various biological activities. Given these facts, the main aim of this investigation was to carry out isolation, identification, and structural characterisation of a new polysaccharide (EPS) derived from laboratory-cultured vegetative mycelium of a new Spongipellis borealis strain isolated from the environment. The examination of monosaccharides in the EPS demonstrated that the isolated biopolymer was composed mainly of glucose, galactose, and mannose monomers. The analysis of the methylation of the studied polymer indicated that it contained mainly terminal, →3)-linked, →4)-linked, and →2,4)-linked hexoses. The effect of fungal polysaccharides on S. borealis proteolytic enzymes (pepsin, trypsin, and pycnoporopepsin) and laccase activity was determined for the first time. Incubation of the enzyme preparation and EPS showed an influence of EPS on the stability of these enzymes, compared to the control values (without EPS). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Activity and Structural Characteristics of Polysaccharides)

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13 pages, 1335 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Polysaccharides from Discarded Stems of Trollius chinensis Bunge Elicit Promising Potential in Cosmetic Industry: Characterization, Moisture Retention and Antioxidant Activity

by Yang Liu, Qiwei Guo, Saimin Zhang, Yilin Bao, Mengling Chen, Lin Gao, Yang Zhang and Hongli Zhou

Molecules 2023, 28(7), 3114; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28073114 - 30 Mar 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1785

Abstract

Unconventional polysaccharides as representative active substances from stems of Trollius chinensis Bunge (TC) were studied. Crude polysaccharides from the stems of TC (TCSP) and the petals of TC (TCPP) were extracted, and the moisture retention and antioxidation activities of both TCSP and TCPP in vitro were studied. The weight-average molar masses (M_w) of TCSP (6.07 × 10⁵ Da) were lower than those of TCPP (9.72 × 10⁵ Da). Glucuronic acid and xylose only existed in TCSP, and the molar ratio of galacturonic acid and mannose in TCSP was significantly higher than that in TCPP. No significant differences in moisture retention ability were found between TCSP and TCPP. The reducing capacity and dphenyl picryl hydrazinyl (DPPH) radical scavenging capacity of TCSP were slightly weaker than those of TCPP. The 2,2-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline–6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging capacity of TCSP can be equivalent to that of TCPP. The moisture retention ability was not different between TCSP and TCPP, which are both highly homologous with traditional humectants. The antioxidation assays in vitro demonstrated that the antioxidant activity of TCSP is stronger compared to that of some plant-derived polysaccharides. The stems of TC can be a promising source of unconventional polysaccharides, which possess moisture retention and antioxidation capacities for the cosmetics industry. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Activity and Structural Characteristics of Polysaccharides)

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