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Although the increasing studies have corroborated the biological activities and great market utilization value of polysaccharide fractions derived from Polygonati rhizome, a well-known edible and medicinal plant, Polygonati rhizome polysaccharides (PRPs) still lack sufficient attention. Herein, we make attempt to systematically summarize recent advances in the extraction, purification, structural characteristics, biological activities, and commercial products of PRPs. Based on the detailed extraction and structural characteristics, the biological activities of PRPs including immune-regulation, anti-osteoporosis, anti-Alzheimer's disease, anti-diabetes and anti-atherosclerotic, are emphatically summarized, as well as the possible related mechanisms. Most importantly, about 365 kinds of commercial functional foods and over 500 patents related to PRPs as the main raw material were analyzed to explore the status quo and bottleneck for the development and utilization of PRPs. In conclusion, this review will benefit to bridge the gap between basic knowledge and market innovations, and facilitate the in-depth utilization of PRPs., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

We herein report a food-derived polysaccharide (EJP) with the effect of relieving myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury (MIRI). This novel polysaccharide was isolated from the leaf of Eriobotrya japonica , and we first found its myocardium protective effects in vitro . Then, we firstly characterized EJP with a series of analytical technologies and further tested its effect on myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury (MIRI) with the illustration of the potential mechanisms in vivo . Interestingly, in the murine model of MIRI, administration of EJP effectively improved post-I/R heart contraction and limited the infarct size. Moreover, EJP significantly attenuated IR-induced oxidative damage and inflammatory reaction, as evidenced by decreasing MDA, IL-6, and TNF-α contents and increasing SOD activity and GSH-Px expression. In addition, we proved that EJP not only had no nephrotoxicity but also demonstrated a protective effect on the kidneys through HE staining and biochemical analysis. In sum, EJP, with a significant protective effect against myocardial I/R injury by showing anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative activities, may become a meaningful drug candidate for the treatment of myocardial I/R injury.

Active edible films based on okara soluble dietary fiber (SDF), pectin, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMCNa) and thyme essential oil (TEO) were successfully prepared. We aimed to exploit biodegradable edible films and realize the full utilization of waste resources. The effects of different amounts of pectin on the properties and structural characterization of the composite film with or without TEO were studied using a solution casting evaporation method. In general, the addition of TEO can improve the properties of the composite membrane. Pectin was homogeneously distributed within the films and exhibited good interaction with the polymer matrix. The addition of pectin led to significantly higher mechanical and optical properties of the composite film, compared with SDF/CMC-Na composite film. The tensile strength reached 21.419 ± 2.22 MPa, and the minimum transparency reduced to 88.9% ± 0.42%, with increasing pectin. Notably, the water resistance and oil resistance were enhanced. The composite films also possessed satisfactory antioxidant activity, with a DPPH-free radical scavenging rate of 46.33% ± 0.72%, while antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus bacteria was not obvious. Antioxidant and antibacterial SDF/pectin/CMC-Na composite films with enhanced mechanical, optical and barrier properties are excellent candidates for active edible packaging., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare there are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Zishen Yutai Pills (ZYP), a famous traditional Chinese patent medicine, has been widely applied to avoid recurrent miscarriage and treat threatened abortion. Polysaccharides of ZYP (ZYPPs) play an essential role in the theraprutic effects of ZYP. However, the complex compositions of ZYP and the complicated structure of ZYPPs have posed great challenges and barriers to the quality evaluation of ZYP., Aim of the Study: To identify and characterize the ZYPPs for better quality control of ZYP, a reliable and valid quality control system was established in this study., Materials and Methods: A multi-fingerprint profile strategy based on HPSEC-MALL-RID, FT-IR, and HPLC (complete acid digested fingerprint, partial acid digested fingerprint and enzymatically digested fingerprint) was established to identify and discriminate the chemical structure of ZYPPs. Besides, the purpose of revealing the relationships between structure and biological activity of ZYPPs, their chemical characteristics, in vitro antioxidant and anti-glycation activities were investigated and discussed., Results: The similarity evaluation of ZYPPs indicated ZYPPs from different batches showed a high similarity based on the correlation coefficient values of multi-fingerprints. Furthermore, ZYPPs exhibited remarkable antioxidant and antiglycation properties, which might be attributed to their molecular weights and the content of uronic acids., Conclusions: These results indicated that the multiple fingerprint technique was reliable and effective for the improvement of quality control of ZYPPs, suggesting the multiple fingerprint technique could also be potentially applied as a valid and feasible strategy to control the quality of polysaccharide-enriched herbal medicines., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The soybean soluble polysaccharide was prepared by mixed fermentation of lactic acid bacteria and Neurospora crassa and microwave treatment. The functional properties and structure characteristics of soybean soluble polysaccharide before and after modification were compared. Results revealed that after fermentation treatment, the content of soybean soluble polysaccharide increased to 7.09%, which was 3.16 times that of raw materials, and the microwave treatment was further increased to 7.69%. The glucose adsorption capacity, glucose dialysis retardation index and the α-amylase activity inhibition ration of soybean soluble polysaccharides increased significantly, promotes intestinal flora growth in vitro after fermentation of mixed bacteria and microwave treatment. At the same time, the analysis of monosaccharide composition and structural characteristics showed that the monosaccharide components of soybean soluble polysaccharide were redistributed after modification treatment, Scanning electron microscopy showed that modified soybean soluble polysaccharide has a larger surface area; Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy and X-ray Diffraction proved that the modification has slight changes in the functional groups and crystal structure of soybean soluble polysaccharide. These results suggested that okara may be a potentially inexpensive source of natural soybean soluble polysaccharide and a potential functional food ingredient., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no competing interests. De-rong Lin, Baoshan Xing, and Xiaomei Long carried out the genetic studies, participated in the experiments and drafted the manuscript. Zhijun Wu and Dingtao Wu participated in the experiments. De-rong Lin and Lijuan Xiao participated in the design of the study and performed the statistical analysis. Hong Chen, Qing Zhang, and Wen Qin conceived of the study, and participated in its design and coordination and helped to draft the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Anoectochilus roxburghii, a traditional Chinese medicinal herb, has been widely used for treating numerous chronic diseases. In this study, a polysaccharide from A. roxburghii (ARPs-p) was purified by anion exchange and size exclusion chromatography. The structural characteristics of ARPs-p were systematically investigated for the first time via numerous chromatographic techniques, periodic acid oxidation, Smith degradation, methylation analysis, FTIR spectroscopy and 1D/2D NMR spectroscopy. The results showed that ARPs-p is a heteropolysaccharide with a molecular weight of 97 kDa; it consists of 97.75% glucose, 1.2% galactose and trace amounts of galacturonic acid, and its backbone structure is composed of →3)-β-d-Glcp-(1→ with some branching points at O-6 linked to non-reducing end units or 6-O-linked Glcp units. Furthermore, streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mouse experiments suggested that ARPs-p has excellent antihyperglycemic, antioxidant and antihyperlipidemic activities, in which 1,3-β-d-glucan, the main component of ARPs-p, plays a vital role.

Modification of functional properties by glycosylating with polysaccharides is an effective solution to improve the internal disadvantages of native proteins. Generally, protein glycosylation belongs to the first stage of the Maillard reaction in essence. Dry-heating, wet-heating, and their combination are the major methods for the preparation of protein-polysaccharide conjugates (PPC). Spectrophotometry, spectroscopy, electrophoresis, calorimetry, chromatography, and mass spectrometry are confirmed to be the most effective methods for the identification of PPC. After glycosylation, functionalities of the native protein, including solubility, rheological properties, emulsifying properties, foaming properties, gel property, film-forming properties, thermal stability, antioxidant activity, allergenicity, and antibacterial properties, are improved. The PPC is extensively used as an encapsulation or a delivering material in order to improve the bioaccessibility of bioactive compounds in food system. Some new applications in food processing could be explored using PPC as an ingredient based on the improved functional properties, such as 3-dimensional printing food, gelled food, and colloid food. Furthermore, the model of protein glycosylation and the application of PPC in food processing could be extended to other protein modification to broaden the exploitation of native protein resource for the processing of novel foods.