Carbohydrate compounds are the most abundant natural products in nature that are closely related to our life, some of which are very familiar such as glucose, sucrose and lactose.
Polysaccharides are also found in nature. Polysaccharide is a biological macromolecule formed by the connection of at least 10 monosaccharides, such as starch, cellulose, pectin, alginate, and hyaluronic acid, whose structure and properties are completely different from those of simple carbohydrate compounds such as glucose and sucrose. They have “Grape-string-like” spatial structure with both the main chain and side chains.
Many well-known Chinese herbal medicines, such as ganoderma lucidum, mushroom, tremella, astragalus, pachymaran, and codonopsis, contain polysaccharides at high level, including glucan, galactan and mannan. Polysaccharides have complex structures and diverse functions. The studies have shown that even the same polysaccharide may act on a variety of different receptors and targets, while the same receptor can interact with a variety of polysaccharides. Therefore, polysaccharides are important active substances to realize the multi-component, multi-target, multi-pathway, multi-function and synergistic effects of traditional Chinese medicine.
Especially in the regulation of immune activity, polysaccharides have a unique effect. Polysaccharides have low toxicity and good stability in vivo. It can promote phagocytosis of macrophages, activate lymphocytes and induce a variety of immune factors. It can also inhibit tumor growth through immune regulation, and enhance both non-specific and specific immunity. Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide is a typical representative. It has a very good immune regulation and anti-tumor effect and has been widely applied.
According to the requirements of the target function, various Chinese herbal polysaccharides are combined together in a specific proportion to form a compound polysaccharide. The increase of compound polysaccharide components, increased the number of targets, through multi-component, multi-target and synergistic action, the corresponding activity and expanded efficacy has been improved. In fact, the process of making Chinese herb compounds is also that of forming compound polysaccharides, and thus improving the efficacy. In the preparation process of food compound polysaccharides, the compatibility principle of “Traditional Chinese medicine formulation” in Chinese medicine prescription can be referred to combine polysaccharides with different functions in order to enhance the function of health food. For example, lentinan polysaccharide, pachymaran, and tremella polysaccharide can be integrated into composite polysaccharide in accordance with a certain ratio, whose regulation of immune activity is better than the single polysaccharide component.
In a word, polysaccharides have a wide range of resources, diverse activities and convenient production. They are ideal resources for food, health care products and drug, which plays an important role in the development of food and drug. With the development of scientific research, polysaccharides will certainly make greater contributions to human wellness.
