Structure Elucidation of a Novel Polysaccharide Isolated from Euonymus fortunei and Establishing Its Antioxidant and Anticancer Properties.

Euonymusfortunei polysaccharides (EFPs) have not been extensively investigated yet in terms of their extraction and biological activity. The orthogonal experimental design was employed in this study to evaluate the optimum yield of EFPs. A maximum yield of 2.63 ± 0.23% was attained using material-liquid ratios of 60 mL/g, extraction temperature of 80°C, ultrasonic power of 144 W, and extraction time of 75 mins. The polysaccharide content reached 53.47 ± 0.31% when deproteinized thrice. An analysis of monosaccharide composition revealed that these polysaccharides consist of Gal, Glc, Man, Fuc, and Rha with a molar ratio of 7.14 ∶ 23.99 ∶ 6.29 ∶ 6.55 ∶ 1.00, respectively, in EFPs. Subsequently, the in vitro scavenging capacities of 2,2-diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ·OH and superoxide anion radicals, along with the reducing power of EFPs, were studied. Results revealed that EFPs have higher antioxidant activity, particularly ·OH scavenging, as well as reducing power, as compared to Astragalus polysaccharides (ASPs) and Lycium barbarum polysaccharides (LBPs). The Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) method was used to evaluate the effects of different concentrations of polysaccharides on SKOV3 cell proliferation, and the results revealed their inhibition at concentrations in the range of 200-800 µg/mL. In addition, findings from flow cytometry further confirmed that EFPs blocked the cell cycle at G0/G1 and S phases and induced SKOV3 cell apoptosis. In a word, EFPs could be exploited and used further based on the experimental results from this study.

The Application and Functional Progress of γ-Poly-Glutamic Acid in Food: A Mini-Review.

γ-Poly-glutamic acid (γ-PGA) is a naturally occurring homo-polyamide produced by various strains of Bacillus. As a biopolymer substance, γ-PGA possesses a few predominant features containing good water solubility, biocompatibility, degradability and non-toxicity. Based on this, γ-PGA can be used in pharmaceutical, such as drug carrier/deliverer, vaccine adjuvant, and coating material for microencapsulation, etc. Moreover, it has also been applied in a broad range of industrial fields including food, medicine, bioremediation, cosmetics, and agriculture. Especially, γ-PGA is an extremely promising food ingredient. In this mini-review, our aim is to review the function and application progress of γ-PGA in the food industry: e.g., improving taste and flavor, enhancing physical property, and promoting health.