ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Nutr.
Sec. Food Chemistry
This article is part of the Research TopicEnhancing the Biological Activity and Applications of Polysaccharides through ModificationView all 6 articles
Extraction, Structural Characterization, Chemical Modification and Anti-inflammatory Activity of Polysaccharides from Ceratocarpus arenarius L
Provisionally accepted
- Yili Normal University, Yili, China
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The extraction process for crude polysaccharides from Ceratocarpus arenarius L. was optimized using response surface methodology (RSM). A major polysaccharide fraction with high purity, designated CAP, was isolated from the crude polysaccharides using DEAE-650 M and Sephadex G-75 column chromatography. Its structure was comprehensively characterized using FT-IR, partial acid hydrolysis, peroxide oxidation, Smith degradation, methylation analysis, and NMR analysis. Subsequently, carboxymethylated (CAP-C), acetylated (CAP-A), sulfated (CAP-S), and phosphorylated (CAP-P) derivatives of CAP were prepared. Their structures were characterized using techniques, including HPSEC, GC, UV, FT-IR, Congo red assay, SEM, XRD, and thermal stability analysis. The results of the RSM optimization indicated that the optimal extraction conditions were as follows: time 43 min, ultrasonic power 310 W, liquid-solid ratio 21:1 mL/g, temperature 62 ℃. The crude polysaccharide yield obtained under these conditions was 19.09 ± 0.12%. CAP is primarily composed of pyranose rings linked by α-glycosidic bonds. Its backbone primarily consists of →3)-Xylp-(1→, →3)-Galp-(1→, Galp-(1→, and →2,4)-Galp-(1→ glycosidic bonds, while the terminal residues of the side chains are mainly T-Xylp and T-Rhap. Structural modification significantly altered the monosaccharide molar ratio, molecular weight, viscosity, solubility, surface morphology, crystalline characteristics, and thermodynamic properties of CAP and its derivatives. Anti-inflammatory activity studies revealed that different modification methods differentially enhanced the polysaccharide bioactivity. However, all derivatives could effectively suppress LPS-induced inflammatory responses by regulating the production of nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). These findings suggest that CAP and its derivatives have potential applications in the functional food and pharmaceutical industries.
Keywords: anti-inflammatory activity, Ceratocarpus arenarius L., Chemicalmodification, polysaccharide, structural characterization
Received: 10 Jan 2026; Accepted: 16 Feb 2026.
Copyright: © 2026 Wang, Cui, Li, Lin and Feng. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Jun-Long Wang
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