Plant Polysaccharides

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2019) | Viewed by 11898

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
School of Food & Advanced Technology, Massey University, Private Bag 11 222 Palmerston North, New Zealand
Interests: polysaccharide characterization and functionality; novel polysccharides from New Zealand native plants, lactic acid bacteria, mushroom, seeds, etc.; polysaccharide interactions with proteins and starches; food systems with satiety function; dairy foods, e.g., yoghurt and ice cream
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Polysaccharides are complex long-chain molecules that are made up of simple sugar molecules connected by glycosidic linkages. In nature, non-starch polysaccharides primarily provide structure to plants among other physiological functions.  The macromolecular structure of polysaccharides is highly complex depending on its botanical origin.  Polysaccharides differ largely in their types of glycosidic linkages, monosaccharide composition, degree of polymerization, and functional groups. These molecular characteristics contribute to the functionality of polysaccharides. Polysaccharides have found broad applications in different industries ranging from food, pharmaceutical, healthcare, and packaging, to petrochemical. In food applications, polysaccharides are used as hydrocolloids, mainly for their thickening, gelling, or stabilising properties. However, it is increasingly apparent that these biopolymers play an important role in contributing to the supramolecular structures of foods, influencing both sensorial and nutritional properties of foods. Uncovering polysaccharides from diversified novel sources is essential, not only for their unique functionalities but also for sustainability.

This Special Issue invites authors from multi-disciplinary fields to submit original research and review articles focusing on plant polysaccharides from novel and existing sources, isolation, characterization methods, and their roles in conferring unique physical functional properties in various applications.  Research on the application of polysaccharides in the assembly of food structures with the aim of developing food products with improved health and nutrition will be of great interest for this Special Issue.

Dr. Kelvin Kim Tha Goh
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • novel polysaccharide
  • non-starch polysaccharide
  • extraction
  • characterization
  • interactions
  • biopolymers
  • food structure
  • thickeners
  • gels
  • emulsions

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 3831 KiB  
Article
The Effect of Water-Soluble Polysaccharide from Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam.) on Human Colon Carcinoma Cells Cultured In Vitro
by Adrian Wiater, Roman Paduch, Sylwia Trojnar, Adam Choma, Małgorzata Pleszczyńska, Paulina Adamczyk, Mateusz Pięt, Katarzyna Próchniak, Janusz Szczodrak, Jakub Strawa and Michał Tomczyk
Plants 2020, 9(1), 103; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9010103 - 14 Jan 2020
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 4292
Abstract
Various phytochemical studies have revealed that jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam.) is rich in bioactive compounds, including carotenoids, flavonoids, volatile acids, tannins, and lectins. The aim of the study was to analyze the biological activity of water-soluble polysaccharide (WSP) isolated from jackfruit and [...] Read more.
Various phytochemical studies have revealed that jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam.) is rich in bioactive compounds, including carotenoids, flavonoids, volatile acids, tannins, and lectins. The aim of the study was to analyze the biological activity of water-soluble polysaccharide (WSP) isolated from jackfruit and to assess its immunomodulatory, cytotoxic, and anti-oxidative effects on human colon carcinoma cells in vitro. The neutral red (NR) uptake assay revealed no toxic influence of the polymer on the viability of tumor cells (HT29 and SW620). After 24 h and 48 h of incubation, the cellular viability was not lower than 94%. The metabolic activity of the cells (MTT) at the compound concentration of 250 µg/mL was higher than 92% in comparison to the control. WSP (250 µg/mL) exerted no significant effect on the morphology of the cells was determined by May-Grünwald-Giemsa staining. WSP changed nitric oxide (NOx) production by the tumor cells depending on the time of incubation and prior 2-h stimulation of the cells with E. coli 0111:B4 LPS. It significantly stimulated IL-1β production by the tumor cells. The IL-6 level increased but that of IL-10 decreased by a WSP concentration-dependent manner. No such effect was detected in SW620. The WSP had antioxidant properties. In conclusion, water-soluble polysaccharide isolated from A. heterophyllus exhibits significant biological activity towards many types of both normal and cancerous cells. Therefore, it may be considered as a useful agent in the protection of human health or in functional and dietary nutrition. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Polysaccharides)
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Review

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11 pages, 921 KiB  
Review
Polysaccharides from New Zealand Native Plants: A Review of Their Structure, Properties, and Potential Applications
by Susan M. Carnachan, Tracey J. Bell, Simon F. R. Hinkley and Ian M. Sims
Plants 2019, 8(6), 163; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants8060163 - 9 Jun 2019
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 5055
Abstract
Water-soluble, non-starch polysaccharides from plants are used commercially in a wide range of food and non-food applications. The increasing range of applications for natural polysaccharides means that there is growing demand for plant-derived polysaccharides with different functionalities. The geographical isolation of New Zealand [...] Read more.
Water-soluble, non-starch polysaccharides from plants are used commercially in a wide range of food and non-food applications. The increasing range of applications for natural polysaccharides means that there is growing demand for plant-derived polysaccharides with different functionalities. The geographical isolation of New Zealand and its unique flora presents opportunities to discover new polysaccharides with novel properties for a range of applications. This review brings together data published since the year 2000 on the composition and structure of exudate gums, mucilages, and storage polysaccharides extracted from New Zealand endemic land plants. The structures and properties of these polysaccharides are compared with the structures of similar polysaccharides from other plants. The current commercial use of these polysaccharides is reviewed and their potential for further exploitation discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Polysaccharides)
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