Table 1.
Antiaging effects of natural product polysaccharides.
| Pharmacological action | Polysaccharides | Experiment model | Functions and mechanisms | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enhance vitality | Porphyra yezoensis polysaccharide (0.2%, 1% diets) | Drosophila | Delayed aging process, increased mating capacity | [31] |
| Antioxidation | Polysaccharide from Cordyceps cicadae (0.1%, 0.5%, and 1% diets) | Drosophila | Increased activities of CAT and GSH-Px, inhibited MDA formation, and upregulated the expression level of antioxidant-related genes: CAT, SOD1, and MTH | [32] |
| Antioxidation | Partially purified Chlorella pyrenoidosa polysaccharides (0.25%, 0.5%, and 1% diets) | Drosophila | Scavenged hydroxyl, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl, superoxide, and hydroxyl radicals. Increased the activity of endogenous antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and catalase | [33] |
| Antioxidation | Sargassum fusiforme fucoidan (0.4 g/L, 0.8 g/L, and 1.6 g/L) | Drosophila | Improved activities of the antioxidant enzymes: SOD, CAT, and GSH-Px, and reduced the MDA and GSSG contents in older flies | [34] |
| Anti-inflammatory | Premna microphylla Turcz polysaccharide (0.25%, 0.5%, and 1% diets) | Drosophila | Reduced microvillus rupture in the midgut, restored the nuclear structure, and improved the expression levels of immune-related genes in inflamed Drosophila—especially defensin | [35] |
| Antioxidation | Rehmannia glutinosa polysaccharide (5 mg/mL) | Caenorhabditis elegans | Activated the antioxidant enzyme system under oxidative stress by promoting nuclear localization of DAF-16. Improved the activities of SOD and CAT, removed excess ROS, and reduced the expression of lipofuscin | [36] |
| Antioxidation | Auricularia auricula polysaccharide (0.1, 0.2, 0.4, and 0.8 mg/mL) | Caenorhabditis elegans | Improved the antioxidant defense system and upregulated the oxidative stress-related genes for stress damage prevention | [37] |
| Antioxidation | Polysaccharide from Sophora moorcroftiana seeds (2 mg/mL, 4 mg/mL) | Caenorhabditis elegans | Extended the life span and reproduction, increased the oxidative stress resistance and antimicrobial capacity | [19] |
| Antioxidation | Polygonatum sibiricum polysaccharide (100 mg/kg) | Rat | Increased the activities of SOD and GSH PX in kidney tissue, reduced the MDA content and β-galactosidase activity, regulated the Klotho-FGF23 endocrine axis, alleviated oxidative stress, and balanced calcium and phosphorus metabolisms | [39] |
| Antioxidation | Polysaccharide from Athyrium multidentatum (Doll.) Ching (100, 200, and 300 mg/kg) | Mouse | Attenuated D-galactose-induced oxidative stress and cell apoptosis by activating the PI3K/AKT pathway | [40] |
| Inhibition of granulosa cell apoptosis | Fructus corni polysaccharides (1.11 g/kg) | Mouse | Restored the estradiol and progesterone level, reduced the luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone levels, increased Bcl-2, and reduced Bax and cleaved caspase-3 | [112] |
| Antioxidation | B. chinense polysaccharides (0.8 and 1.6 mg/mL) | Mouse lung endothelial cells | Scavenged and resisted the H2O2-induced senescence | [43] |
| Antioxidation | Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels (Apiaceae) polysaccharides (20 μg/mL, 100 μg/mL) | Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) | Augmented the Akt/hTERT phosphorylation and inhibited the oxidative stress | [44] |
| Inhibition of oxidative damage | Angelica sinensis polysaccharides (200 mg/kg) | Mouse hematopoietic stem cells | Decreased the percentage of SA-beta-Gal-positive cells, the ratio of G1 stages, and the production of ROS. Downregulated the expression levels of p16 mRNA | [45] |
| Antiapoptosis | Lycium barbarum polysaccharides (400 mg/L) | Human lens epithelial cells | Reduced the H2O2-induced cell apoptosis, ROS generation, mitochondrial membrane potential loss, and MDA levels and inhibited the H2O2-induced downregulation of Bcl-2. Upregulated Bax proteins and increased the SOD and GSH enzyme activities levels. Attenuated H2O2-induced cellular senescence | [46] |
| Antiapoptosis | Lycium barbarum polysaccharides (1.0, 2.0, 3.0, and 4.0 mg/mL) | Zebrafish embryos | Decreased the expression of aging-related genes such as p53, p21, and Bax. Increased Mdm2 and TERT genes | [47] |
| Improve cell viability | Lycium barbarum polysaccharides (100 mg/L) | HUVECs | Increased cell viability and decreased p53 and p16 expression levels | [48] |
| Increase the subjective feelings of general well-being | Lycium barbarum polysaccharides (120 mL of GoChi/day) | Healthy adults | Reduced fatigue and stress, improved the neurologic/psychologic performance and gastrointestinal functions | [49] |
| Antioxidation | Lycium barbarum polysaccharides (120 mL of GoChi/day) | Healthy adults | Increased the antioxidant efficacies by stimulating endogenous factors | [50] |
Notes: CAT: catalase; FGF23: fibroblast growth factor 23; GSH-PX: glutathione peroxidase; GSSG: glutathione disulfide; MDA: malondialdehyde; MTH: methuselah; MDM2: mouse double minute 2 homolog; PI3K: phosphatidyl inositol 3-kinase; AKT: protein kinase B; ROS: reactive oxygen species; SOD: superoxide dismutase; hTERT: telomerase reverse transcriptase; GSSG: glutathione disulfide.