A novel xylosylated fucoglucuronan in Penium reveals structural parallels to rhamnogalacturonan-I and its broad evolutionary footprint in lower plants.

Structural characterization and hypoglycemic activity of a novel pectic polysaccharide extracted from Atractylodes lancea rhizome.

Dual-configuration arabinogalactan-II synergizes with rhamnogalacturonan-I in Lycium barbarum pectin to construct an intestinal anti-inflammatory glycan scaffold.

Controllable alkaline dissociation of anionic polysaccharides governs nano-coassembly with soy β-conglycinin: a rational design for intestinal-targeted delivery systems.

Like-charged polyelectrolyte interaction and functional fiber construction: Viscosity regulation, dual-ion crosslinking, and pH-responsive drug release of sodium alginate (SA)/pectin (PEC) blends.

Emulsion gel designed based on rice bran protein-pectin conjugated microgel particles: Interface characteristics, rheological properties and water migration.

Processing sequence as a design lever: pectin pre-complexation enhances ultrasound-driven interfacial loading, functionality, and volatile profile of yeast protein.

Structural characterization of a novel pectic polysaccharide from Abelmoschi Corolla and evaluation of its immunological activities.

Structure-function guided design of sequential whey protein-polyphenol-pectin conjugates for enhanced lutein stability and controlled bioaccessibility.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease with limited effective therapeutic options. Plant-derived polysaccharides have emerged as promising candidates for UC treatment. In this study, a novel pectic polysaccharide, designated SOP, was isolated from the traditional medicinal plant Sonchus oleraceus L. SOP is homogeneous polysaccharide (≈169 kDa), mainly composed of galacturonic acid (72.13%), accompanied by galactose (10.57%), arabinose (9.51%), and rhamnose (4.23%). Comprehensive NMR spectroscopic analysis ( 1 H, 13 C, HSQC, HMBC, COSY) elucidated its backbone structure, characteristic of rhamnogalacturonan-I (RG-I) type pectin. It is classfied as a low-methylated pectin with coexistence pyranose and furanose ring configurations, along with moderate esterification (≈23.8%), methylation(22.45%) and minor acetylation (1.36%). Functionally, SOP exhibited superior emulsifying activity (56.05%) and dose-dependent DPPH radical scavenging activity. In a DSS-induced colitis mouse model, oral administration of SOP significantly alleviated disease symptoms, reduced disease activity index scores, restored colon length, and ameliorated colonic histopathological damage in a dose-dependent manner. Mechanistic studies revealed that SOP treatment significantly downregulated the expression of M1 macrophage markers (iNOS, CD86) and pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 in colonic tissues. Furthermore, SOP suppressed the phosphorylation of NF-κB p65, JNK, and ERK1/2, indicating its anti-inflammatory effects are mediated via inhibition NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways. These findings demonstrate that SOP, a structurally unique low-methylated RG-I pectin from Sonchus oleraceus L , has promising antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, exerts therapeutic effects against experimental colitis by modulating key inflammatory pathways, and provides a scientific basis for its traditional use and clinical UC prevention and management. • A low-methylated RG-I pectin (SOP) was isolated from Sonchus oleraceus . • SOP inhibited M1 macrophage polarization via NF-κB and MAPK pathways. • SOP alleviated DSS-induced colitis by suppressing inflammatory responses. • This pectin is a promising natural food ingredient for gut health.

Novel pectin-low-density lipoprotein oleogels as techno-functional ingredients improved the structural and textural characteristics of gluten-free bread.

Multi-omics analyses reveal a rhamnogalacturonan I (RG-I) from Polygonum aviculare ameliorates nephrolithiasis through regulation of the gut-kidney axis.

Preparation of gamma-Decanolactone/EGCG antifungal electrospinning materials and its application in citrus fruit preservation.

This study investigates the extraction of pectic polysaccharides from rapeseed meal (RSM) using both conventional and enzyme-assisted techniques, and the obtained pectic polysaccharide fractions will be used later to produce prebiotic pectic oligosaccharides (POS). A two-step process was developed, involving enzymatic treatment with Alcalase® 2.4 L for 2 h and Cellic® CTec3 HS preparations for 24 h, followed by ammonium oxalate extraction, which effectively isolated two pectic polysaccharide-enriched fractions: PP-EAE (first step) and the resulting Ca-bound pectic polysaccharides fraction (CaPP-EAE) (second step). Both fractions exhibited a bimodal molecular weight profile, indicative of the presence of long-chain polysaccharides alongside oligosaccharides. CaPP-EAE compositional analysis revealed that the fraction contained 56.8% galacturonic acid (GalA), low methyl-esterified (LM) pectins with 53.2% homogalacturonan (HG) and 30.2% rhamnogalacturonan I (RG-I) domains, featuring side chains of arabinan, arabinogalactan, and galactan. Subsequent enzymatic treatment with 0.5% (v/v) of Pectinex® Ultra Passover for 30 min transformed these fragments into a mixture of short-chain POS. Importantly, the produced short-chain POS fraction demonstrated enhanced prebiotic activity, particularly for bacterial strains of the family Lactobacillaceae, compared to a yeast strain. These findings provide a sustainable, biorefinery-compatible approach for extracting and modifying RSM polysaccharides, supporting the development of structurally defined POS as novel prebiotics.

Saponins, the primary bioactive constituents with immunomodulatory activities in Baoyuan decoction-a traditional Chinese medicine formula composed of ginseng, astragalus, licorice, and cinnamon-are limited by low extraction yield, poor stability, and easy degradation. In this study, cellulase and pectinase were used for the extraction of saponins from Baoyuan decoction and optimized by response surface methodology. Subsequently, the optimal extracts were microencapsulated by spray drying with soy protein isolate (SPI) or high-oleic acid soy protein isolate (HOSPI) and pectin (PE) as composite wall materials, followed by application evaluation in gummies and in vitro digestion. After optimization, the total saponin yield was 63.68 ± 0.15 mg/g. HOSPI-PE microcapsules (HBP) had a higher encapsulation efficiency (90.38%), smaller particle size, and lower hygroscopicity than SPI-PE ones (SBP). Furthermore, both microcapsules showed good stability during storage and controlled release, with 60.9% of saponins in SBP and 65.8% in HBP being delivered to the intestinal phase during in vitro digestion of microparticles. When applied in gummies, microcapsule gummies retained satisfactory sustained-release in vitro digestion (23.0% released in the stomach and 66.2% in the small intestine). In contrast, the unencapsulated gummies exhibited a burst release (74.4%) at 30 min in gastric digestion. This study provides theoretical and technical insights into the development of plant-derived functional foods and promotes the practical application of microencapsulation in functional gummy candies.

Accurate monosaccharide composition analysis was a prerequisite for studying the structure and function of polysaccharides. This study evaluated three one-step hydrolysis methods (H2SO4, trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), and Driselase) on polysaccharides with varying uronic acid contents and developed an enzyme--acid hydrolysis protocol for acidic polysaccharides. Results demonstrated that neutral tamarind seed polysaccharide (TSP) was effectively hydrolyzed by H2SO4/TFA with hydrolysis yields exceeding 97%. However, acidic polysaccharides, including peach gum polysaccharide (PGP), phyllanthus emblica polysaccharide (PEP), and passion fruit pectin (PFP), showed low hydrolysis yields with one-step methods. A Driselase-H2SO4 hydrolysis strategy was then established involving Driselase pretreatment, followed by H2SO4 hydrolysis at optimized conditions (0.5-2.0 M, 60-90 min). This protocol increased the hydrolysis yields of PGP, PEP, and PFP to 97.41%, 86.17%, and 87.06%, respectively, with high repeatability and precision. These results were significantly higher than those from one-step hydrolysis methods, effectively improving the accuracy of the monosaccharide composition analysis for acidic polysaccharides.

Comparative characterization of pectin fractions from pomegranate peel: Structure–Function relationships

O-acetylation, a common modificationin rhamnogalacturonanI (RG-I), is critical for various biological processes, includingplant growth, stress responses, and pathogen defense. Precise determinationof the degree and specific positions of acetylation is therefore essential.To date, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and tandem mass spectrometryhave been employed to identify O-acetyl positionsin pectin oligosaccharides. Although NMR is effective, it requirespure, high-concentration samples. Tandem mass spectrometry (MS), whichuses smaller sample amounts, faces challenges due to O-acetyl migration between monosaccharide positions. The multiplesteps in pectin sample analysis can further promote O-acetyl migration, especially near free hydroxyl groups. Moreover,during tandem MS, O-acetyl groups may detach, complicatingthe accurate tracking. This study presents an approach to lock O-acetyl groups by introducing trideuteroacetyl and propionylsubstituents onto free hydroxyls of RG-I or partially acetylated RG-I.By combining matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight(MALDI-TOF) MS and electrospray ionization (ESI) MS with MS/MS ortandem mass spectrometry (MSn), we devised a way to determinethe monosaccharide sequence in the oligomer and the precise positionsof O-acetyl groups in partially acetylated RG-I.This method enables the study of the regiospecificity of recombinantpectin O-acetyltransferases and can be applied toother oligosaccharides to determine acyl positions.

The degradation of complex plant polysaccharides, particularly Rhamnogalacturonan I (RG-I) pectin, is essential for unlocking the value of biomass. This study focuses on the enzymatic toolbox of Penicillium oxalicum for efficient RG-I breakdown. Here, we recombinantly expressed 15 novel pectinolytic enzymes and characterized their biochemical functions. The enzyme system consists of backbone-cleaving rhamnogalacturonan hydrolases and lyases, along with side-chain-degrading enzymes. Specific endo-β-galactanases (GH30, GH43, GH53) and an exo-β-galactosidase (GH35) collaboratively hydrolyze galactan side chains. Meanwhile, α-arabinanases (GH43) and exo-α-arabinofuranosidases (GH54, GH62) work synergistically to degrade arabinan side chains. Through coordinated action, these enzymes achieve complete degradation of complex RG-I structures. Our findings provide a comprehensive enzyme set for targeted polysaccharide deconstruction, offering valuable resources for biomass conversion and pectin valorization in industrial applications.

Facing the complex pathogen infection microenvironment, single responsive nanopesticides hardly improved pesticide utilization. Herein, inspired by the plant cell hierarchical structure, pectin (PEC)-coated hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles (HMSNs) were used to prepare pectinase/pH dual-responsive hexaconazole-loaded nanopesticides (Hex/HMSN-PEC) via confined enzymolysis. Its acidic pH/pectinase responsiveness adapted to Rhizoctonia solani-induced microenvironments. It exhibited potent antifungal activity (EC50 = 0.783 mg/L), comparable to commercial hexaconazole suspension (Hex SC), yet with higher efficacy. The 143 ± 2 nm Hex/HMSN-PEC enabled bidirectional vascular transport, fungal cell wall penetration, and rainwash resistance for targeted action. It minimally impacted rice seed growth, with chlorophyll content 1.72× that of Hex SC at equivalent concentrations, reducing crop damage and showing earthworm safety (LC50 ≈ twice Hex SC). This work offered a new perspective to overcome limitations of conventional pesticides in controlled release and crop safety.