Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 5, 2026
10:03
Comparative Study on the Polysaccharide Contents and Antioxidant Activities of Hippophae rhamnoides subsp. sinensis and Hippophae gyantsensis
Published on: August 15, 2025
Cordyceps militaris polysaccharides: extraction, structure-activity relationships and functional applications
Ping Wang1, Hui Li2, Zhe Wang3
1Key Laboratory of Chemical Substances and Biological Effects of Traditional Chinese Medicine, College of Pharmacy, Shaanxi University of International Trade and Commerce, Xi'an, People's Republic of China.
Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture
|July 28, 2026
Summary
Cordyceps militaris polysaccharides (CMPs) show promising health benefits for functional foods. Further research on safety and pharmacokinetics is needed for their full potential in nutrition and agriculture.
Area of Science:
- Food Science
- Biochemistry
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Cordyceps militaris polysaccharides (CMPs) are bioactive macromolecules gaining attention for functional foods and health products.
- Their potential applications span nutrition, agriculture, and biomaterials.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent advances in CMPs, covering extraction, characterization, biological activities, and applications.
- To identify limitations and future research needs for CMPs in food and agricultural sectors.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of extraction, purification, structural characterization, and biological activities of CMPs.
- Analysis of structure-activity relationships, safety, pharmacokinetics, and bibliometric trends.
Main Results:
- CMPs exhibit diverse biological activities (antioxidant, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, etc.) linked to their structural features.
- Potential applications exist in functional foods, nutritional products, and feed additives.
Conclusions:
- Standardization of methods, structural elucidation, and pharmacokinetic data are crucial for CMPs' development.
- Rigorous safety and bioavailability studies are essential for translational applications in food and agriculture.
Related Concept Videos
01:15Cellulose and Pectic Polysaccharides
Every plant cell has a cell wall that protects the cell, provides structural support, and gives the cell shape. Cellulose, the main structural component of the plant cell wall, makes up over 30% of plant matter. It is the most abundant organic compound on earth. Cellulose is an unbranched polysaccharide composed of linear chains of glucose molecules linked by β (1→4) glycosidic bonds.
As a cell matures, its cell wall specializes according to its type. For example, the parenchyma cells of...
As a cell matures, its cell wall specializes according to its type. For example, the parenchyma cells of...
01:15Antifungal Agents
Amphotericin B is a broad-spectrum antifungal agent that exploits structural differences between fungal and mammalian cell membranes. Its amphipathic structure—featuring a hydrophobic polyene-lactone ring and a hydrophilic region containing mycosamine and carboxylic acid groups—enables selective binding to ergosterol, a sterol predominantly found in fungal plasma membranes. This selective interaction underlies the drug’s antifungal activity, although weak binding to cholesterol contributes to...
01:26Biosynthesis of Polysaccharides
Polysaccharides such as glycogen and starch are synthesized from nucleoside diphosphate sugars, primarily uridine diphosphate glucose (UDPG) and adenosine diphosphate glucose (ADPG). These activated glucose donors act as key intermediates in carbohydrate metabolism and biosynthesis. UDPG primarily involves glycogen synthesis in animals and many bacteria, while ADPG plays a fundamental role in starch synthesis in plants and certain bacteria.UDPG is formed when glucose-1-phosphate reacts with...
01:13Cytoskeletal Accessory Proteins
The cytoskeleton is an essential cell component that plays several structural and functional roles. However, the filaments that make up the cytoskeleton cannot function independently and depend on the accessory or ancillary proteins to effectively carry out their function. Accessory proteins associate with cytoskeletal filaments and their monomers, aiding filament formation and function. They also help in the cross-communication among cytoskeletal filaments. Cytoskeletal accessory proteins are...