Research progress on glucose-regulating mechanism of food-derived polysaccharides

Abstract

Mounting food-derived polysaccharides play critical roles in regulating glucose metabolism and alleviating diabetes. However, their structure-activity relationship is unclear. There is still no systematic elaboration of the chemical structures of food-derived polysaccharides with glucose-lowing effects in vivo or in vitro. A correct understanding of the structural types of polysaccharides and breaking through the limitations of structural theory contributes to clarify their structure-activity relationship and understand the biological basis of human health. In this review, sources (118 edible plant and fungus, a total of 60 materials), characteristics, such as molecular weight (5–200 kDa), monosaccharides composition (Top 5: glucose, galactose, arabinose, mannose, rhamnose), glycosidic linkages (1 → 3 glucoside bonds), etc. and structural types (glucans and heteropolysaccharides) of these polysaccharides were comprehensively summarized and analyzed. This paper also summarized hypoglycemic mechanism of food-derived polysaccharides, including regulation of digestive enzyme activity, glucose uptake, glycogen synthesis, gluconeogenesis, glycolysis, insulin secretion, lipid metabolism, inflammation response, oxidative stress, intestinal microbiota, metabolites to provide theoretical support for the development and application of polysaccharides from food-derived materials (in particular, edible fungi) in the field of functional food and in diabetes prevention.