Bioactive Polysaccharides: Extraction Strategies, Structural Features, and Functional Roles

Dear Colleagues,

Bioactive polysaccharides (naturally occurring macromolecules widely distributed in plants, fungi, algae, and microorganisms) have gained immense attention due to their structural diversity, biocompatibility, and multifunctionality. Their distinctive biological activities, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and prebiotic effects, make them valuable candidates for functional foods, nutraceuticals, cosmetics, biomaterials, and pharmaceutical products.

In addition to their well-recognized physiological functions, polysaccharides have also emerged as versatile materials in food, biomedical, and environmental applications. Their unique rheological behavior, film-forming ability, and chemical modifiability enable their use in developing edible coatings, hydrogels, drug delivery systems, tissue engineering scaffolds, and smart packaging materials. These functional and structural advantages are driving growing interdisciplinary research on polysaccharide-based biomaterials with tailored physicochemical properties and targeted biological activities.

The exploration of bioactive polysaccharides involves three core research dimensions, namely (1) efficient extraction strategies that preserve bioactivity, (2) precise structural characterization to decode molecular features, and (3) mechanistic understanding of functional roles to guide rational design and utilization. With the advancement of separation technology, analytical instruments, and molecular biology tools, novel extraction and modification methods continue to emerge, enabling high-purity polysaccharide recovery and in-depth structure-function elucidation at the molecular level.

We are pleased to announce a Special Issue of Foods, titled “Bioactive Polysaccharides: Extraction Strategies, Structural Features, and Functional Roles”. This Issue aims to provide a platform for showcasing the latest advances in polysaccharide science, spanning from traditional bioactivity research to novel applications in functional materials and sustainable technologies. We invite authors to submit original research articles, comprehensive reviews, and short communications addressing recent progress and emerging challenges in this multidisciplinary field.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Novel and efficient extraction technologies for bioactive polysaccharides (e.g., ultrasonic-assisted, microwave-assisted, enzyme-assisted, or subcritical fluid extraction);
• Optimization of extraction and purification processes to enhance yield, purity, and bioactivity of polysaccharides;
• Advanced structural characterization techniques for bioactive polysaccharides (e.g., NMR, MS, X-ray diffraction, AFM, TEM);
• Molecular features of bioactive polysaccharides (molecular weight, monosaccharide composition, glycosidic linkage, branching degree, spatial conformation);
• Functional and physiological activities (antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, prebiotic, hypolipidemic, hypoglycemic, and other physiological activities);
• Structure–function relationship and molecular mechanism elucidation;
• Chemical, enzymatic, or physical modification to improve their functionality, stability, or bioavailability;
• Interaction of polysaccharides with other biomolecules (proteins, lipids, nucleic acids) or food matrices;
• Development of polysaccharide-based materials for food preservation, packaging, encapsulation, drug delivery, and tissue regeneration;
• Analytical methodologies for qualitative and quantitative determination of bioactive polysaccharides;
• Safety evaluation and regulatory perspectives for polysaccharides-based food and related products.

Dr. Peipei Wang
Dr. Lei Chen
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Foods is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• bioactive polysaccharides
• extraction strategies
• structural features
• functional roles
• structure-function relationship
• modification
• application