AUTHOR=Guo Rui , Chen Min , Ding Yangyang , Yang Pengyao , Wang Mengjiao , Zhang Haihui , He Yuanqing , Ma Haile 

TITLE=Polysaccharides as Potential Anti-tumor Biomacromolecules —A Review

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Nutrition

VOLUME=Volume 9 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2022.838179

DOI=10.3389/fnut.2022.838179

ISSN=2296-861X

ABSTRACT=Cancer, one of the most threatening diseases, has attracted worldwide attentions to develop drugs against it without side-effects. Polysaccharides belonging to bioactive macromolecules are potential to be applied in cancer therapy due to their anti-tumor activities and non-toxic characteristics. This manuscript reviewed the common prepared methods for polysaccharides, the detailed mechanisms for its anti-tumor activities, the structure-activity relationships, the absorption and metabolism of polysaccharides, and the applications of polysaccharides in anti-tumor therapy. It implied that polysaccharides with enhanced activities may be obtained by proper extraction methods. Polysaccharides consisted of β-(1→3) glycosidic bond and the triple helix structure or modified properly could exhibit prominent bioactivities especially in anti-tumor activity. Polysaccharides could be digested and absorbed in gastrointestinal tract after oral administration, which was closely associated with its anti-tumor activity. Moreover, the review pay clos attentions to the possible anti-tumor mechanisms including cell cycle arrest, anti-angiogenesis, apoptosis, immunomodulation, etc. This review could  be helpful for the development of polysaccharides as new function foods and ingredients for health benefit and disease prevention.