Abstract
A high-mineral polysaccharide (LP) was extracted from Lycium barbarum L. leaves, and the absorption of endogenous calcium, iron, and zinc was evaluated in Caco-2 cells and rat models. The absorption of these minerals ranged from 2.7 to 5.9% in Caco-2 cells, compared with 60.5–81.9% in rat models. LP had a compact globular conformation at pH∼7.2 when co-cultured with Caco-2 cells, and degraded to a loosely linear structure at pH∼6.7 in rat cecum. The degraded polysaccharides didn’t change the mucosal morphometry but caused higher expression of calcium transporter 1 (CAT1) and zinc transporter 1 (ZIP1) proteins in rat cecum. Furthermore, fermentation of polysaccharides in cecum also caused elevated levels of serum cytokines, including TNF-α and IL-6. GL polysaccharides could increase the bioavailability of endogenous calcium via changes in the molecular conformation and through upregulation of the expression of mineral transporter proteins.
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