2. Academic Validation
  3. The degree of esterification influences the bioactivity of pectic polysaccharides isolated from Lithocarpus litseifolius

The degree of esterification influences the bioactivity of pectic polysaccharides isolated from Lithocarpus litseifolius

  • Food Chem X. 2025 Apr 12:27:102462. doi: 10.1016/j.fochx.2025.102462.
Yu-Jing Huang 1,  Jing Feng 1,  Yong Deng 2,  Jie Li 1 3,  Hong-Yan Liu 3,  Qing Liang 4,  Yi-Chen Hu 1,  Jian-Yong Zhang 2,  Liang Zou 1 5,  Ding-Tao Wu 1
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Key Laboratory of Coarse Cereal Processing of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, School of Food and Biological Engineering, Chengdu University, Chengdu 610106, Sichuan, China.
  • 2 School of Pharmacy, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563000, Guizhou, China.
  • 3 Research Center for Plants and Human Health, Institute of Urban Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, National Agricultural Science and Technology Center, Chengdu 610213, Sichuan, China.
  • 4 Department of Pharmacy, Zunyi Medical and Pharmaceutical College, Zunyi 563006, Guizhou, China.
  • 5 Chengdu Agricultural College, Chengdu 611130, Sichuan, China.
PMID: 40297662 DOI: 10.1016/j.fochx.2025.102462
Abstract

Pectic Polysaccharides are the mainly bioactive components in Lithocarpus litseifolius (sweet tea) leaves. Nevertheless, owing to their diverse and complex chemical structures, the detailed structure-function relationships (SFR) of pectic Polysaccharides from sweet tea (STP) are still unclear. Herein, the influence of STP's esterified degree on its diverse biological functions was uncovered. The results showed that the de-esterified STPs with a middle-esterified degree (33.53 %) and a low-esterified degree (7.66 %) were successfully prepared when compared with the original high-esterified STP (47.01 %), and their primary structural features were almost stable after the controllable de-esterification treatment. Furthermore, the findings inferred that STP's antioxidant, anti-diabetic, and immunostimulatory functions showed inverse correlations with the esterified degree. Moreover, the de-esterified STP with a lower-esterified degree could be more easily utilized by intestinal Microorganisms to positively regulate the gut microbial composition. Overall, these findings can provide valuable insights for elucidating STP's precise SFR.

Keywords

Biological function; Esterified degree; Microbial fermentation characteristic; Pectic polysaccharide; Sweet tea.

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