The Therapeutic Potential of Plant Polysaccharides in Metabolic Diseases
Xiao-Fang Wang1, Xue Chen1, Yong Tang2
1Sichuan Key Medical Laboratory of New Drug Discovery and Druggability Evaluation, Luzhou Key Laboratory of Activity Screening and Druggability Evaluation for Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Education Ministry Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China.
Abstract:
Plant polysaccharides (PPS) composed of more than 10 monosaccharides show high safety and various pharmacological activities, including immunoregulatory, antitumor, antioxidative, antiaging, and other effects. In recent years, emerging evidence has indicated that many PPS are beneficial for metabolic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes, obesity, and neurological diseases, which are usually caused by the metabolic disorder of fat, sugar, and protein. In this review, we introduce the common characteristics and functional activity of many representative PPS, emphasize the common risks and molecular mechanism of metabolic diseases, and discuss the pharmacological activity and mechanism of action of representative PPS obtained from plants including Aloe vera, Angelica sinensis, pumpkin, Lycium barbarum, Ginseng, Schisandra chinensis, Dioscorea pposite, Poria cocos, and tea in metabolic diseases. Finally, this review will provide directions and a reference for future research and for the development of PPS into potential drugs for the treatment of metabolic diseases.
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