Table 1.

Some functional foods rich in biologically active polysaccharides.

Source	Polysaccharides/characteristics	Biological activity	Observations	References
Cuminum cyminum	→4)-Galp-(1→, →3)-Galp-(1→, →2)-Arap-(1→ and →2)-Arap-(1→ glycosidic linkages Mw: 191.4–512.2 × 103 g/mol	Modulation of the immune system	Polysaccharides induced RAW264.7 cells to release nitric oxide and express inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-12. In addition to activating NK-92 cells to produce TNF-α, IFN-γ, perforin, granzyme B, NKG2D, and FasL	Tabarsa et al. (2020)
Pouteria campechiana	→4)-α-d-Glc (1→ and →6)-α-d-Glc (1→ Mw: 67,900 Da	Antioxidant activity	Pouteria campechiana, also known as yellow sapota, is a fruit originally from tropical regions. In Latin America, the fruit can be found from Mexico to Brazil	Ma et al. (2020)
Nephelium longanum	two specific glycosidic linkages of α-Araf-(1→ and →5)-α-Araf-(1→ Mw: 1.47 × 105 Da	Protector of the intestinal barrier	Exhibited an ability to increase the expression of ZO-1, claudin-1, occludine and E-cadherin mRNA in differentiated Caco-2 cells	Bai et al. (2020)
Cabernet Sauvignon wine	Complex of several heteropolysaccharides	Anti-inflammatory activity	The treatment reduced leukocyte migration inhibited pro-inflammatory cytokines and increased production of IL-10 anti-inflammatory cytokines	de Lacerda Bezerra, Caillot, de Oliveira, Santana-Filho, and Sassaki (2019)
Terminalia chebula	Amylopectin with backbone (1 → 4)-α-Glc(p) backbone branched at C6/C2. Side chains were composed of (1 → 4)-β-Gal(p) substituted with α-Ara(f), β-GalUA(p), β-GalUA(p)-Me, and α-Rham(p) Mw: 534.9 kDa	Antioxidant activity	Terminalia chebula, commonly known as black or chebulic mirobalane, is a species of Terminalia, native to southern Asia from India and Nepal	Jeong, Lee, Kim, and Baek (2019)
Morinda citrifolia	Homogalacturonan and rhamnogalacturonan.	Anti-inflammatory activity	The polysaccharide was able to inhibit leukocyte migration to the site of inflammation and further reduced the tests for inflammatory nociception	Sousa et al. (2018)
Ilex asprella	IAPS-1 was elucidated as 1,6-linked α-d-glucopyranosyl. IAPS-2, the backbone is composed of 1, 4-linked α-d-glucose, galactose and rhamnose, and branched chains consists of arabinose, rhamnose and galacturonic	Immunoregulatory activity	The polysaccharides increase the secretion of important inflammatory cytokines in macrophages, such as TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-12	Meng et al. (2018)
Meretrix meretrix	α (1 → 4) -glucan branched with Man or Gal.	Immunoregulatory activity	Splenocyte proliferation and cytokine secretion	Wang, Chen, Li, Di, and Wu (2018)