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Recent Advances in the Structure, Biological Activity and Structure–Activity Relationship...
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Recent Advances in the Structure, Biological Activity and Structure–Activity Relationship of Polysaccharides

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Bioactives and Nutraceuticals".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 May 2026 | Viewed by 1358

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Natalia Nowacka-Jechalke

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Pharmaceutical Botany, Medical University of Lublin, Chodźki 1, 20-093 Lublin, Poland
Interests: natural sources; mushrooms; purification chromatographic techniques; chemical composition; biologically active structures
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Marta Kinga Lemieszek

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Medical Biology, Institute of Rural Health, Jaczewskiego 2, 20-090 Lublin, Poland
Interests: substances of natural origin; dietary components; edible mushrooms; green food products; microalgae; barley grass juice

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Natural polysaccharides, derived from sources such as plants, fungi, and algae, have gained significant attention due to their structural diversity, biocompatibility, and wide range of beneficial biological activities. Their anticancer potential, expressed either indirectly through immunomodulation or directly via the inhibition of cancer cell proliferation and/or the induction of cancer cell death, is particularly noteworthy. Understanding the structural complexity of polysaccharides and their influence on bioactivity is crucial for unlocking their full therapeutic potential.

This Special Issue aims at highlighting the recent progress in the extraction, purification, structural characterization, and evaluation of the biological activity of natural polysaccharides. Special emphasis is placed on studies investigating structure–activity relationships to provide a comprehensive overview of how structural features—such as monosaccharide composition, glycosidic linkages, branching, and molecular weight—influence bioactivity. Contributions exploring the molecular mechanisms underlying anticancer, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, and other bioactivities are especially encouraged. Both original research and review articles are very welcome.

Dr. Natalia Nowacka-Jechalke
Dr. Marta Kinga Lemieszek
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. 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.

Keywords

  • natural polysaccharides
  • phytochemicals
  • nutraceuticals
  • structure–activity relationship
  • anticancer potential
  • immunomodulation

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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20 pages, 1090 KB  
Article
Antiproliferative Evaluation of Dextran Polymer-Based Pomegranate Ethanolic Extract
by Umile Gianfranco Spizzirri, Marisa Francesca Motta, Sonia Ferraro, Silvia Strigaro, Cinzia Benincasa, Rosa Nicoletti, Francesco Astuto, Ubaldo Comite, Rocco Malivindi and Francesca Aiello
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(21), 10618; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms262110618 - 31 Oct 2025
Viewed by 513
Abstract
The pomegranate peel represents an important source of secondary metabolites such as hydrolysable ellagitannins, which are recognized for their antioxidant, anticancer and neuroprotective properties. In this work, the freeze-dried pomegranate peel was extracted by a combined mild maceration at room temperature and ultrasonication [...] Read more.
The pomegranate peel represents an important source of secondary metabolites such as hydrolysable ellagitannins, which are recognized for their antioxidant, anticancer and neuroprotective properties. In this work, the freeze-dried pomegranate peel was extracted by a combined mild maceration at room temperature and ultrasonication at 45 °C using ethanol and acetone as green solvents. The ethanol extract, with an extraction yield of 29%, and IC50 (mg/mL) 0.1067 and 0.0414 for DPPH and ABTS, respectively, was incorporated into a polymer based on dextran, using a grafting reaction, to improve its bioavailability and preserve the chemical integrity. In addition, the potential antitumor activity against breast cancer was evaluated based on the existing literature. In vitro studies have demonstrated the safety and biocompatibility of both free pomegranate peel extract (SSE2-L) and its dextran conjugate (SSPD), with no adverse effects on fibroblasts, erythrocytes, or immune cells. Both formulations inhibited the proliferation of breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7, MDA-MB-231) in a concentration- and time-dependent manner, with SSPD consistently showing superior efficacy. This enhanced activity was corroborated by reduced clonogenic growth, G1 cell-cycle arrest, and improved stability and bioactive retention conferred by polymer conjugation. Overall, these findings highlight dextran-conjugated pomegranate polyphenols as promising candidates for next-generation nutraceuticals and phytopharmaceuticals in cancer chemoprevention and adjunctive therapy, with potential applications extending to other biomedical fields and functional foods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in the Structure, Biological Activity and Structure–Activity Relationship of Polysaccharides)
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17 pages, 2069 KB  
Article
Chemical Characterization and In Vitro Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory, and Colon Cancer-Preventive Potential of a Polysaccharide Fraction from Macrolepiota procera
by Natalia Nowacka-Jechalke and Marta Kinga Lemieszek
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(20), 9978; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26209978 - 14 Oct 2025
Viewed by 636
Abstract
Polysaccharides from edible mushrooms are increasingly recognized as bioactive compounds with health-promoting properties. In this study, a polysaccharide-rich fraction Mp-CPS was isolated from fruiting bodies of Macrolepiota procera using ultrasound-assisted extraction. The chemical composition of crude polysaccharides from the parasol mushroom was evaluated [...] Read more.
Polysaccharides from edible mushrooms are increasingly recognized as bioactive compounds with health-promoting properties. In this study, a polysaccharide-rich fraction Mp-CPS was isolated from fruiting bodies of Macrolepiota procera using ultrasound-assisted extraction. The chemical composition of crude polysaccharides from the parasol mushroom was evaluated using spectrophotometric and electrophoretic methods. Chemical analysis revealed that Mp-CPS is mainly composed of glucose- and galactose-based heteropolysaccharides, with β-glucans as the predominant glucan type. The biological potential of Mp-CPS was evaluated in light of its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities. Antioxidant assays (TEAC, ORAC) demonstrated significant radical-scavenging capacity, with higher activity observed in the ORAC test. As revealed by biochemical examination, Mp-CPS also inhibited key pro-inflammatory enzymes: COX-1, COX-2, and LOX. At the same time, in vitro research (MTT and LDH assays) has shown the great chemopreventive abilities of Mp-CPS against human colon cancer cells, which intensified with the degree of cell malignancy. Overall, these results highlight M. procera as a sustainable and valuable source of biologically active polysaccharides with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer potential. The findings support further exploration of Mp-CPS for applications in functional foods and nutraceuticals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in the Structure, Biological Activity and Structure–Activity Relationship of Polysaccharides)
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