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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Nutr.
Sec. Food Chemistry
Volume 11 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1524846

Preparation, structural property, and antioxidant activities of a novel pectin polysaccharide from the flowers of Hibiscus syriacus Linn

Provisionally accepted
Jialong Chen Jialong Chen 1*Chaojun Ye Chaojun Ye 1Lu Zhang Lu Zhang 2Zhiliang Xie Zhiliang Xie 1Jianjun Zhu Jianjun Zhu 1Zhi Zhang Zhi Zhang 3
  • 1 Wenzhou Vocational College of Science and Technology, Wenzhou, China
  • 2 Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
  • 3 Zhejiang DongFang Vocational and Technical College, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Oxidative stress, triggered by an imbalance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and cellular antioxidant defense mechanisms, is implicated in various pathological conditions. Plant-derived polysaccharides have gained significant attention as potential natural antioxidants due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, and structural versatility. This study focuses on the purification, structural characterization, and antioxidant activities of a novel pectin polysaccharide (HFPS) isolated from the flowers of Hibiscus syriacus Linn. HFPS was purified using anionexchange chromatography. Its chemical composition, monosaccharide profile, molecular weight distribution, and structural properties were elucidated through various analytical techniques. HFPS exhibited a predominant acidic monosaccharide composition, with galacturonic acid as the major constituent, indicating its pectin nature.The free radical scavenging activity of HFPS against ABTS•, DPPH•, and •OH radicals was evaluated, demonstrating a positive correlation between its antioxidant capacity and concentration. Furthermore, HFPS effectively protected HepG2 cells against H2O2induced oxidative stress by reducing ROS accumulation, modulating redox-related enzymes (Superoxide dismutase, Catalase, Glutathione peroxidase), and alleviating oxidative damage. Notably, HFPS upregulated the expression of antioxidant-related genes, including B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1), NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1), and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), while downregulating pro-apoptotic genes like Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax) and Caspase-3. These findings suggest that HFPS exerts its antioxidant effects by modulating the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway and redox homeostasis. This study contributes to the understanding of the structure-function relationships and antioxidant mechanisms of HFPS, highlighting its potential applications as a natural antioxidant in various fields.

    Keywords: Hibiscus syriacus Linn., Pectin polysaccharide, structural characterization, antioxidant activity, Oxidative Stress, Nrf2/HO-1 pathway

    Received: 08 Nov 2024; Accepted: 23 Dec 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Chen, Ye, Zhang, Xie, Zhu and Zhang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Jialong Chen, Wenzhou Vocational College of Science and Technology, Wenzhou, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.