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Polysaccharides: Isolations, Identifications and Applications

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 December 2023) | Viewed by 3784

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Multicampi School of Medical Sciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
Interests: marine glycoscience; marine natural products; bioactive polysaccharides; chitosan; pharmacological potential of biomolecules

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Guest Editor
Biochemistry Department, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
Interests: marine glycoscience; marine natural products; bioactive polysaccharides; fucoidan; alginate; chitosan; antioxidant activity
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Polysaccharides are a type of macromolecule that are found in almost all living beings on the planet (except for viruses). These molecules are best known for their structural properties (such as chitin and cellulose) and energetic properties (such as starch and glycogen). However, the study of polysaccharides goes far beyond this. Due to their high biocompatibility, polysaccharides from different sources are being evaluated as bioactive agents for various conditions, and some are already being used as drugs. One example is heparin, a sulfated polysaccharide that has been used as an anticoagulant drug for over 80 years. Moreover, polysaccharides are structurally diverse in terms of their size, type of linkage between monosaccharides, presence of branching, types of substituents, and other factors, all of which influence their activities. The presence of several hydroxyl groups in polysaccharides, as well as their solubility in water and other solvents, makes them targets for chemical modifications. These modifications increase their potential as bioactive molecules and enable polysaccharides and their derivative molecules to be used to produce different biomaterials, including nanomaterials. In recent years, bioinformatics studies with polysaccharides have also been developed, which is increasing the biotechnological potential of these molecules.

In this scenario, this Special Issue presents unpublished studies on natural polysaccharides and their derivatives, as well as review articles on this topic. As guest editors for this Special Issue, we would like to invite you to present your data regarding the study of polysaccharides obtained from different organisms, as well as their derivatives. We welcome studies ranging from the isolation and purification of these molecules to their structural characterization, evaluation of biological, pharmacological, nutraceutical, and biotechnological properties, and proposition of mechanisms of action, including in silico studies. 

Dr. Rafael Barros Gomes Câmara
Dr. Hugo Alexandre Oliveira Rocha
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • bioactive polysaccharides
  • polysaccharide-based biomaterials
  • biotechnological application
  • bioinformatics
  • chitin and chitosan
  • glycosaminoglycans
  • neutral polysaccharides
  • acid polysaccharides

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

33 pages, 6114 KiB  
Article
Development of Biological Coating from Novel Halophilic Exopolysaccharide Exerting Shelf-Life-Prolonging and Biocontrol Actions for Post-Harvest Applications
by Chandni Upadhyaya, Hiren Patel, Ishita Patel, Parth Ahir and Trushit Upadhyaya
Molecules 2024, 29(3), 695; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29030695 - 2 Feb 2024
Viewed by 1471
Abstract
The literature presents the preserving effect of biological coatings developed from various microbial sources. However, the presented work exhibits its uniqueness in the utilization of halophilic exopolysaccharides as food coating material. Moreover, such extremophilic exopolysaccharides are more stable and economical production is possible. [...] Read more.
The literature presents the preserving effect of biological coatings developed from various microbial sources. However, the presented work exhibits its uniqueness in the utilization of halophilic exopolysaccharides as food coating material. Moreover, such extremophilic exopolysaccharides are more stable and economical production is possible. Consequently, the aim of the presented research was to develop a coating material from marine exopolysaccharide (EPS). The significant EPS producers having antagonistic attributes against selected phytopathogens were screened from different marine water and soil samples. TSIS01 isolate revealed the maximum antagonism well and EPS production was selected further and characterized as Bacillus tequilensis MS01 by 16S rRNA analysis. EPS production was optimized and deproteinized EPS was assessed for biophysical properties. High performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) analysis revealed that EPS was a heteropolymer of glucose, galactose, mannose, and glucuronic acid. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and UV-visible spectra validated the presence of determined sugars. It showed high stability at a wide range of temperatures, pH and incubation time, ≈1.63 × 106 Da molecular weight, intermediate solubility index (48.2 ± 3.12%), low water holding capacity (12.4 ± 1.93%), and pseudoplastic rheologic shear-thinning comparable to xanthan gum. It revealed antimicrobial potential against human pathogens and antioxidants as well as anti-inflammatory potential. The biocontrol assay of EPS against phytopathogens revealed the highest activity against Alternaria solani. The EPS-coated and control tomato fruits were treated with A. solani suspension to check the % disease incidence, which revealed a significant (p < 0.001) decline compared to uncoated controls. Moreover, it revealed shelf-life prolonging action on tomatoes comparable to xanthan gum and higher than chitosan. Consequently, the presented marine EPS was elucidated as a potent coating material to mitigate post-harvest losses. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polysaccharides: Isolations, Identifications and Applications)
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22 pages, 10945 KiB  
Article
Effects of Solid Fermentation on Polygonatum cyrtonema Polysaccharides: Isolation, Characterization and Bioactivities
by Yi Cheng, Xueyuan Huang, Lixia Li, Lu Liu, Chunsheng Zhang, Xiang Fan, Yu Xie, Yuanfeng Zou, Zhe Geng and Chao Huang
Molecules 2023, 28(14), 5498; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28145498 - 19 Jul 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1977
Abstract
Polygonati Rhizoma is a widely used traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with complex pre-processing steps. Fermentation is a common method for processing TCM to reduce herb toxicity and enhance their properties and/or produce new effects. Here, in this study, using Bacillus subtilis and Saccharomyces [...] Read more.
Polygonati Rhizoma is a widely used traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with complex pre-processing steps. Fermentation is a common method for processing TCM to reduce herb toxicity and enhance their properties and/or produce new effects. Here, in this study, using Bacillus subtilis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we aimed to evaluate the potential application of solid fermentation in isolating different functional polysaccharides from Polygonatum cyrtonema Hua. With hot water extraction, ethanol precipitation, DEAE anion exchange chromatography and gel filtration, multiple neutral and acidic polysaccharides were obtained, showing different yields, content, compositions and functional groups after fermentation. Combining in vitro experiments and in vivo aging and immunosuppressed mouse models, we further compared the antioxidant and immunomodulating bioactivities of these polysaccharides and found a prominent role of a natural polysaccharide (BNP) from fermented P. cyrtonema via Bacillus subtilis in regulating intestinal antioxidant defense and immune function, which may be a consequence of the ability of BNP to modulate the homeostasis of gut microbiota. Thus, this work provides evidence for the further development and utilization of P. cyrtonema with fermentation, and reveals the potential values of BNP in the treatment of intestinal disorders. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polysaccharides: Isolations, Identifications and Applications)
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