The Therapeutic Potential of Plant Polysaccharides in Metabolic Diseases

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.

Keywords: characteristics; mechanism of action; metabolic disease; pharmacological activities; plant polysaccharides.

Figure 1

Chemical structures of representative PPS. (A) Aloe vera, (B) Angelica sinensis, (C) Schisandra chinensi, (D) Poria cocos, (E) Panax ginseng, (F) Pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata), (G) Tea (Camellia sinensis), (H) Dioscorea opposita, (I) Lycium barbarum.

Figure 2

The association between abdominal obesity and MetS. Excessive intake and reduced physical activity can lead to abdominal obesity. On the one hand, abdominal obesity leads to increased TNF-α, IL-6, and ROS and decreased adiponectin and nitric oxide through inflammatory pathways. On the other hand, an increase in FFA leads to gluconeogenesis, which increases fat and TG production and reduces glucose intake and insulin production. This leads to a series of metabolic diseases.

Figure 3

Common risk factors and various metabolic diseases. Risk factors for neurological disorders include obesity, high blood pressure, HDL-C, and high TG and IR. Risk factors for CVD include hypertension IR, increased waist circumference, low HDL, HDL-C, and high TG. Risk factors for NASH include obesity, diabetes, and MetS. Risk factors for diabetes include IR and abdominal obesity. Risk factors for cancer include central obesity and hypercholesterolemia. At the same time, drugs and environmental toxins can also affect human health from the respiratory tract and cause a series of metabolic diseases.

Figure 4

The mechanism of action of PPS in various metabolic diseases, including AD, T2DM, CFS, AS, NAFLD, anxiety, and obesity. The mechanism of action mainly involves the apoptotic, inflammatory and IR pathways and the regulation of metabolic pathways and gut bacteria.