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Review
. 2025 May 2:16:1583711.
doi: 10.3389/fphar.2025.1583711. eCollection 2025.

Advances in the study of Ophiopogon japonicus polysaccharides: structural characterization, bioactivity and gut microbiota modulation regulation

Jiani Li  1   2   3 , LiQuan Zhou  1   2   3 , ZuoWei Xiao  1   2   3
Affiliations
Review

Advances in the study of Ophiopogon japonicus polysaccharides: structural characterization, bioactivity and gut microbiota modulation regulation

Jiani Li et al. Front Pharmacol. .

Abstract

Ophiopogon japonicus polysaccharides (OJPS), the principal bioactive constituents isolated from Ophiopogon japonicus, demonstrate substantial physiological efficacy. OJPS is characterized by a high molecular weight, typically ranging from 2.48 to 324.7 kDa. Emerging evidence indicates that OJPS modulates the composition and structural organization of the gut microbiota, thereby maintaining intestinal barrier integrity and enhancing both gastrointestinal and systemic homeostasis. Moreover, OJPS and its metabolic derivatives engage in dynamic interactions with microbial communities, mediating cellular signaling cascades and endocrine regulation to elicit hypoglycemic effects. Despite these findings, comprehensive analyses of OJPS extraction and purification methodologies, structural elucidation, biological functionalities, and mechanistic insights into its crosstalk with the gut microbiota remain scarce. This review systematically synthesizes contemporary knowledge pertaining to the preparation, structural attributes, bioactivity, and mechanistic underpinnings of OJPS, with particular emphasis on its dual regulatory role in host physiology and gut microbial ecology.

Keywords: Ophiopogon japonicus polysaccharides; Structure; antidiabetic activity; biological activities; gut microbiota.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Diagram of the molecular mechanism of the Cardioprotective activity of OJPS. Created by Figdraw.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
The interaction between OJPS and the gut microbiota. Created by Figdraw.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
The interaction between OJPS and intestinal epithelium. Created by Figdraw.
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
The Antidiabetic activity mediated by OJPS and gut microbiota. Created by Figdraw.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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