Factors affecting the stability of anthocyanins and strategies for improving their stability: A review.

Anthocyanins, as the most common and widely distributed flavonoid compounds, are widely present in fruits and vegetables. Anthocyanins show various biological activities including antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and immunomodulatory activities. Hence, anthocyanins are widely used in the fields of food and pharmaceuticals. However, anthocyanins are susceptible to environmental and processing factors due to their structural characteristics, which leads to poor storage and processing stability. Numerous studies have indicated that structural modification, co-pigmentation, and delivery systems could improve the stability and bioavailability of anthocyanins in the external environment. This article reviews the main factors affecting the stability of anthocyanins. Moreover, this review comprehensively introduces methods to improve the stability of anthocyanins. Finally, the current problems and future research advances of anthocyanins are also introduced. The findings can provide important references for deeper research on the stability, biological activities, and bioavailability of anthocyanins.

The interaction of polyphenols-polysaccharides and their applications: A review.

Polyphenols, as important secondary metabolites in nature, are widely distributed in vegetables, fruits, grains, and other foods. Polyphenols have attracted widespread attention in the food industry and nutrition due to their unique structure and various biological activities. However, the health benefits of polyphenols are compromised owing to their structural instability and sensitivity to the external environment. The interaction between polyphenols and polysaccharides largely determined the stability and functional characteristics of polyphenols in food processing and storage. Thus, this topic has attracted widespread attention in recent years. The main purposes of this article are as follows: 1) to review the interaction mechanisms of polyphenols and polysaccharides including non-covalent and covalent bonds; 2) to comprehensively analyze the influencing factors of the interaction between polyphenols and polysaccharides, and introduce the effects of their interaction on the properties of polyphenols; 3) to systematically summarize the applications of interaction between polyphenols and polysaccharides. The findings can provide the important reference and theoretical support for the application of polyphenols and polysaccharides in food industry.

The regulatory effect of polysaccharides on the gut microbiota and their effect on human health: A review.

Polysaccharides with low toxicity and high biological activities are a kind of biological macromolecule. Recently, growing studies have confirmed that polysaccharides could improve obesity, diabetes, tumors, inflammatory bowel disease, hyperlipidemia, diarrhea, and liver-related diseases by changing the intestinal micro-environment. Moreover, polysaccharides could promote human health by regulating gut microbiota, enhancing production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), improving intestinal mucosal barrier, regulating lipid metabolism, and activating specific signaling pathways. Notably, the biological activities of polysaccharides are closely related to their molecular weight, monosaccharide composition, glycosidic bond types, and regulation of gut microbiota. The intestinal microbiota can secrete glycoside hydrolases, lyases, and esterases to break down polysaccharides chains and generate monosaccharides, thereby promoting their absorption and utilization. The degradation of polysaccharides can produce SCFAs, further regulating the proportion of gut microbiota and achieving the effect of preventing and treating various diseases. This review aims to summarize the latest studies: 1) effect of polysaccharides structures on intestinal flora; 2) regulatory effect of polysaccharides on gut microbiota; 3) effects of polysaccharides on gut microbe-mediated diseases; 4) regulation of gut microbiota on polysaccharides metabolism. The findings are expected to provide important information for the development of polysaccharides and the treatment of diseases.