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The Extraction, Structure and Bioactivities of Plant Polysaccharides

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A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2026) | Viewed by 2714

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Dr. Chun Chen

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Department of Food Science, School of Food Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
Interests: natural products chemistry, especially research on the isolation, structure elucidation, modification, and analysis of bioactive natural products
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Dear Colleagues,

Food ingredients are any substances that are added to foods to exert health benefits, and they exist widely in natural plants, animals, and microorganisms. Increasing numbers of in vivo and vitro studies have suggested that oral bioactive polysaccharides can directly improve anti-cancer, anti-immune-response, anti-bacterial, hypoglycemic, or antioxidant abilities of food ingredients. Polysaccharides exhibit a molecular structure that can be linear or highly branched, composed by the same (homopolysaccharide) or different (heteropolysaccharide) monosaccharide units. Structural differences confer distinct physical and chemical properties. In addition, most natural polysaccharides, as dietary fiber, could regulate gut microbiota and the associations of gut microbial dysbiosis with prevalent metabolic diseases. Thus, there is an urgent need to further explore the structure and bioactivities to polysaccharides, which have been implicated in diabetes, obesity, hyperuricemia, cardiovascular, and other metabolic diseases.

The Special Issue, entitled ‘The Extraction, Structure and Bioactivities of Plant Polysaccharides’, will discuss the recent advances in the structure–function relationships of natural polysaccharides. Both relative reviews and research papers are welcome.

Dr. Chun Chen
Guest Editor

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Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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Keywords

polysaccharides
digestion
fermentation
structure
bioactivities

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 5268 KB

Open AccessArticle

Mechanistic Insights into Pancreatic Lipase Inhibition by Sugarcane Polyphenols: A Structural and Kinetic Study

by Qiyan Liu, Ping-Ping Wang, Xiong Fu and Chun Chen

Foods 2026, 15(9), 1480; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15091480 - 23 Apr 2026

Viewed by 256

Abstract

Pancreatic lipase (PL) inhibition is a promising dietary strategy for obesity management. In this study, the inhibitory mechanisms and structural basis of polyphenols extracted from different sugarcane fractions were investigated using in vitro enzyme assays, spectroscopy, and molecular docking analyses. PL inhibitory activity was evaluated using p-nitrophenyl laurate (pNPL) as the substrate, with all assays performed in triplicate and results statistically analyzed. Among the extracts, sugarcane peel polyphenols (SP) exhibited the strongest inhibition, with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) of 31.56 mg/mL, significantly lower than that of sugarcane juice polyphenols (SJ, 55.86 mg/mL) and sugarcane bagasse polyphenols (SB, 65.31 mg/mL). Enzyme kinetic analyses revealed a reversible mixed-type inhibition mechanism. In contrast to crude extracts, individual phenolic monomers showed substantially lower IC₅₀ values (0.13–1.33 mg/mL), highlighting the intrinsic dilution. Compositional analysis identified ferulic acid, gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, and schaftoside as key contributors to PL inhibition. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and fluorescence spectroscopy demonstrated that polyphenols altered PL secondary structure by modulating α-helix and β-sheet contents and perturbed the microenvironment of tryptophan (Trp) and tyrosine (Tyr) residues. Molecular docking further indicated that these compounds bind within or near the substrate-binding channel via hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions, engaging critical residues including Ser152, His263, and Phe77, and potentially influencing conformational elements involved in active-site accessibility. Collectively, these results suggest that sugarcane, particularly its peel, represents a valuable natural source of PL inhibitors. Despite the relatively high IC₅₀ values of crude extracts, their inhibitory activity arises from multicomponent contributions and supports their potential application as dietary modulators of fat digestion rather than as pharmaceutical lipase inhibitors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Extraction, Structure and Bioactivities of Plant Polysaccharides)

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14 pages, 2439 KB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Molecular Weight and Protein Content on the Air–Water Interfacial and Foaming Properties of Soybean Soluble Polysaccharides

by Yujian Li, Guijiang Liang, Zhaojun Wang, Maomao Zeng, Zhiyong He, Qiuming Chen, Fang Qin and Jie Chen

Foods 2026, 15(8), 1272; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15081272 - 8 Apr 2026

Viewed by 391

Abstract

This study systematically investigated the influence of molecular weight (MW) and protein content (PC) on the interfacial behavior and foaming properties of soluble soybean polysaccharide (SSPS), aiming to elucidate the structure–function relationship for the targeted design of SSPS-based foam stabilizers. The results demonstrated that the low-MW group, particularly the LH sample (low MW, high PC), exhibited the highest foam expansion (FE = 272.5%), attributed to its smallest particle size, lowest zeta potential, and minimal surface tension, which facilitated rapid adsorption at the interface. Interfacial rheology revealed that all SSPS samples formed an elastic-dominated interfacial film (G′ > G″). The HM sample (high MW, moderate PC) showed the most rapid increase in G′ and the highest mechanical strength, while the LH sample (low MW, high PC) exhibited the strongest elastic response within the low-MW group, which contributed to its relatively high foam stability (FS = 69.9%). The interfacial viscoelasticity and foaming performance of SSPS are synergistically governed by its MW and PC. Low MW facilitates rapid adsorption and superior foam expansion, while high PC enhances interfacial film elasticity. Moreover, the long-term stability of foam depends not only on reduced interfacial tension but more critically on the mechanical strength and viscoelasticity of the interfacial film. These findings provide a crucial theoretical basis for optimizing SSPS applications in aerated foods. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Extraction, Structure and Bioactivities of Plant Polysaccharides)

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22 pages, 5260 KB

Open AccessArticle

Remodeling of Bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) Shoot Polysaccharides by Monascus purpureus Fermentation Enhances Antioxidant Protection in Caco-2 Cells

by Fang Long, Zuomin Hu, Huanzhao Luo, Zhongxing Chu, Shuqin Li, Yaping Zhou, Anping Li and Feijun Luo

Foods 2026, 15(4), 704; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15040704 - 14 Feb 2026

Viewed by 476

Abstract

Bamboo shoot polysaccharides possess promising bioactivities, but their high molecular weight and complex branched structures limit their functional efficacy. In this study, bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) shoots were fermented with Monascus purpureus ATCC16426 to obtain a novel neutral polysaccharide (FBSP-1). Monosaccharide composition analysis indicated that FBSP-1 comprised glucose (Glc), xylose (Xyl), arabinose (Ara), galactose (Gal), and mannose (Man). Glycosidic linkage and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy data revealed that the backbone of FBSP-1 mainly consisted of →2)-α-Manp-(1→, →4)-α-Glcp-(1→, →3)-β-Xylp-(1→, →3)-α-Araf-(1→ and →2)-α-Araf-(1→. Compared with unfermented polysaccharide BSP-1, fermentation markedly altered the monosaccharide profile, increasing Glc, Xyl and Man, decreasing Ara and Gal, and reducing the molecular weight. In H₂O₂-treated Caco-2 cells, FBSP-1 significantly alleviated oxidative damage by reducing intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, while enhancing the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione reductase (GR), demonstrating pronounced antioxidant protective effects. Overall, this study demonstrates that Monascus fermentation is an effective strategy for the structural remodeling of bamboo shoot polysaccharides, enabling the enhancement of their antioxidant functionality and supporting their potential application as functional ingredients in plant-based antioxidant foods. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Extraction, Structure and Bioactivities of Plant Polysaccharides)

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21 pages, 2963 KB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Ultrasonic-Assisted Extraction on the Structural and Physiological Activity of Jackfruit Polysaccharides

by Jinmei Hu, Zongcheng Luo, Fengzhen You, Donghui Luo, Fengchuan Ma, Zhongsheng Tang and Siming Zhu

Foods 2026, 15(1), 132; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15010132 - 2 Jan 2026

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 985

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the effects of ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) on the physicochemical properties, biological activities, and intestinal flora regulatory capacity of jackfruit polysaccharides (JPs). Under optimized UAE conditions (liquid-to-solid ratio 30 mL/g, extraction time 30 min, power 90 W), the yield of JP reached 8.70 ± 0.11%. Compared with hot-water-extracted jackfruit polysaccharides (HAE-JPs), ultrasonic-assisted extracted jackfruit polysaccharides (UAE-JPs) exhibited a lower molecular weight, a smaller particle size, and a significant 11.5-fold increase in galacturonic acid content. Structural analyses confirmed that UAE-JPs retained a triple-helix and highly branched conformation but with enhanced exposure of acidic monosaccharides. These structural modifications contributed to superior antioxidant activity and enzyme inhibition ability, demonstrated by its lower IC₅₀ values against DPPH, ABTS radicals, and α-glucosidase. Crucially, in vitro fecal fermentation revealed that UAE-JPs and HAE-JPs differentially modulated the gut microbiota. UAE-JPs preferentially promoted the proliferation of Lactobacillus (an increase of 27.04%) and Bifidobacterium, facilitating short-term acidification. In contrast, HAE-JPs enriched butyrate-producing bacteria like Clostridium (increase of 18.56%). Both polysaccharides significantly inhibited the growth of Fusobacterium (a decrease of 5.23%) related to cancer. Consequently, this study establishes UAE as a green and efficient technique capable of not only modifying the structure of JPs but also precisely tailoring their prebiotic functionality, which ultimately demonstrates the potential of UAE-JPs as a functional food ingredient with enhanced bioactivity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Extraction, Structure and Bioactivities of Plant Polysaccharides)

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