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Updated: Jun 11, 2026
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Quantitative Metabolomics of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Using Liquid Chromatography Coupled with Tandem Mass Spectrometry
Published on: January 5, 2021
Research progress on methods for determining monosaccharide composition and its relationship with activities: A
Huihan Li1, Yongkai Xu1, Hongfei Jiao2
1Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Affiliated Hospital, Jinan, 250011, China.
International Journal of Biological Macromolecules
|June 9, 2026
Summary
Understanding polysaccharide structure is key to unlocking therapeutic effects. Monosaccharide composition, particularly acidic sugars, galactose, arabinose, and glucose, significantly influences biological activity and drug development.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Pharmacology
- Natural Products Chemistry
Background:
- Polysaccharides are crucial biomacromolecules underpinning the therapeutic efficacy of traditional Chinese medicines.
- Monosaccharide composition is a fundamental determinant of polysaccharide biological activity and a key indicator of their structure.
- Existing methods for monosaccharide analysis vary in accuracy and convenience, highlighting a need for optimized techniques.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review methods for determining monosaccharide composition in natural carbohydrates.
- To summarize structure-activity relationships (SAR) of polysaccharides based on their monosaccharide makeup.
- To provide a comprehensive comparison of SAR across diverse polysaccharide sources (plants, microorganisms, algae, animals).
Main Methods:
- Review of literature on polysaccharide structural analysis and biological activity.
- Focus on High-Performance Anion-Exchange Chromatography with Pulsed Amperometric Detection (HPAEC-PAD) for accurate, derivatization-free monosaccharide analysis, including acidic sugars.
- Comparative analysis of SAR data from various natural sources.
Main Results:
- Acidic polysaccharides generally exhibit superior biological activity compared to neutral polysaccharides.
- Neutral polysaccharides abundant in galactose, arabinose, and glucose are often associated with enhanced biological activity.
- HPAEC-PAD offers a convenient and accurate method for monosaccharide profiling and SAR studies.
Conclusions:
- Monosaccharide composition is a critical factor in polysaccharide biological activity, guiding therapeutic applications.
- Future research should prioritize high-throughput, multimodal analytical techniques for polysaccharide characterization.
- Machine learning models can enhance predictive accuracy for rational drug design based on polysaccharide structures.
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