International Journal of Biological Macromolecules最新文献

{"title":"Amino-functionalized chitosan/carboxymethyl cellulose aerogel for efficient Cr(VI) removal and its carbonized derivative as a photocatalyst for tetracycline degradation.","authors":"Lixin Huang, Yongjie Tuo, Junqi Wei, Haiying Lin, Qingge Feng, Mingen Li, Xianghua Wu, Qiuyan Hu, Guanjian He, Jie He, Yujiang Fan, Chun Lv, Qiang Niu","doi":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2026.152355","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2026.152355","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Although adsorption mitigates the environmental risks associated with heavy metal pollution in wastewater, the disposal of spent adsorbents raises secondary pollution concerns, making their safe reuse and sustainable management important. This study developed a novel chitosan-based composite aerogel (CS/SCMC/PEI) with an interconnected porous structure and abundant nitrogenous groups for efficient Cr(VI) removal. The aerogel demonstrated a high adsorption capacity (453.1 mg g^-1) at pH 2, remarkable selectivity, and adaptability in the presence of common ions and dissolved organic matter. Notably, it maintained ≥83.7% of its initial capacity over five adsorption-desorption cycles. The adsorption adhered to a chemical monolayer adsorption behavior, with kinetics dominated by both external and intraparticle diffusion. In practical application with actual electroplating wastewater, the aerogel effectively reduced the Cr(VI) concentration from 415.7 mg L^-1 to<0.2 mg L^-1, which was well below the mandated national discharge limit. The underlying removal mechanism was identified as a synergistic interplay involving electrostatic attraction, reduction, and complexation mediated by nitrogen and oxygen-containing functional groups. The spent aerogel was carbonized into a Cr₂O₃@CN photocatalyst, which degraded 97.8% of tetracycline within 60 min under visible light. The degradation pathways, elucidated through density functional theory (DFT) calculations and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis, were found to involve hydroxylation, demethylation, amide cleavage, and ring opening, ultimately leading to mineralization. This work presents an integrated adsorption-conversion-catalysis strategy that enables the repurposing of hazardous heavy metal-laden waste into value-added photocatalytic materials, thereby providing a sustainable solution for synergistic pollution control and resource recovery.</p>","PeriodicalId":333,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Biological Macromolecules","volume":"364 ","pages":"152355"},"PeriodicalIF":8.5,"publicationDate":"2026-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147831856","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sustainable removal of congo red from tannery effluents using sugarcane bagasse-derived cellulose/bentonite composites: combined experimental, DFT, and molecular dynamics study.","authors":"Soukaina El Abbadi, Hajar El Moustansiri, Malika Khnifira, Mounia Baidou, Mokhtar Lemdek, Abdelmjid Bouazizi, Mohamed Douma","doi":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2026.152273","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2026.152273","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The discharge of dye-containing effluents from tannery industries poses a serious environmental challenge due to their toxicity, persistence, and resistance to conventional treatment processes. Among these pollutants, congo red (CR), an anionic azo dye widely used in the textile and leather industries, requires efficient removal strategies. In this study, a low-cost and eco-friendly Cellulose/Bentonite composite (CB-comp) was developed for CR removal from tannery wastewater, combining cellulose extracted from sugarcane bagasse with acid-activated Moroccan bentonite, promoting agro-industrial waste valorization while enhancing structural properties. Characterization using X-ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy (XRF), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analysis, and of the point of zero charge (pH_PZC) determination confirmed successful composite formation, with partial cellulose intercalation increasing the specific surface area from 78 to 177 m²/g. Batch adsorption experiments showed optimal CR removal at pH 4 using 30 mg of adsorbent, achieving a maximum adsorption capacity of 167.25 mg/g, significantly higher than raw bentonite (95.72 mg/g). Adsorption equilibrium and kinetics followed the Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-second-order model, while thermodynamic analysis indicated a spontaneous and endothermic process. Density functional theory (DFT) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations revealed adsorption governed by n-π interactions, electrostatic attraction, and hydrogen bonding. The composite retained over 75% efficiency after five regeneration cycles and achieved 98% CR removal from real tannery wastewater, demonstrating its potential as a sustainable adsorbent for industrial effluent treatment.</p>","PeriodicalId":333,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Biological Macromolecules","volume":"364 ","pages":"152273"},"PeriodicalIF":8.5,"publicationDate":"2026-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147831924","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"pH-responsive alginate-inulin composite hydrogels incorporating pollen exine capsules for oral protein delivery: Structural characterization and controlled release mechanism.","authors":"Yingqi Liang, Siyi Li, Juanjuan Xie, Peng Fei, Guoguang Zhang, Jinmei Zou","doi":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2026.152362","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2026.152362","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Proteases are readily inactivated in the gastrointestinal tract, which severely limits their oral delivery. In this study, a pH-responsive composite hydrogel system was developed by embedding papain-loaded Nelumbo nucifera sporopollenin exine capsules (PNSECs) within a sodium alginate-inulin-Al³⁺ matrix to form PNSECs-SAI. Optimized loading yielded an enzyme activity retention of 56.12%. Structural characterization, swelling behavior, and release analyses indicated that the composite matrix remained relatively compact under acidic conditions but underwent pronounced swelling and structural loosening under near-neutral conditions. Accordingly, the apparent cumulative active release of papain was strongly restricted at pH 2.0, remaining below 5% within 5 h and reaching only about 25% after 40 h, whereas rapid release occurred at pH 7.4, approaching 94-100% within 3 h. Simulated oral-gastric-intestinal digestion further showed that PNSECs-SAI substantially improved papain protection, with bioaccessible papain activity reaching 43.79%, compared with 10.71% for PNSECs alone and 3.71% for free papain. These findings suggest that the system may operate through a hierarchical dual-protection effect, in which the outer pH-responsive hydrogel regulates macroscopic protection and release, while the inner sporopollenin capsules provide local confinement and additional diffusion resistance. Overall, PNSECs-SAI represents a promising proof-of-concept platform for pollen-derived oral enzyme delivery.</p>","PeriodicalId":333,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Biological Macromolecules","volume":"364 ","pages":"152362"},"PeriodicalIF":8.5,"publicationDate":"2026-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147831867","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Free-standing chondroitin sulfate/collagen multilayered films as preliminary Bruch's membrane-mimetic platform for retinal pigment epithelial cell culture.","authors":"Lan Duo, Pengfei Cheng, Wenpei Jiang, Quankui Lin","doi":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2026.152359","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2026.152359","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of irreversible blindness, primarily associated with retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cell degeneration. Although RPE cell therapy has emerged as a promising strategy for AMD, maintaining RPE cell attachment, organization, and functional characteristics remains a major challenge. In this study, free-standing chondroitin sulfate (CS)/collagen (Col) multilayered films were fabricated via spin-coating-assisted layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly and evaluated in vitro as preliminary Bruch's membrane (BM)-mimetic platform for supporting RPE growth and preserving cellular functionality. Genipin cross-linking improved the mechanical stability of the films and reduced their swelling behavior. ARPE-19 cells cultured on the 2 h cross-linked films showed improved attachment and proliferation compared with uncross-linked films, together with detectable RPE65 expression and several RPE-related functional features, including apical-basal differences in pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) secretion, phagocytosis of labeled photoreceptor outer segments (POS), and formation of microvilli-like structures. Collectively, these findings suggest that CS/Col free-standing films can support ARPE-19 cell growth and maintain several RPE-related phenotypic and functional features in vitro, providing a preliminary BM-mimetic platform for future RPE culture studies.</p>","PeriodicalId":333,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Biological Macromolecules","volume":"364 ","pages":"152359"},"PeriodicalIF":8.5,"publicationDate":"2026-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147831865","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Angelica sinensis polysaccharides modulate iron metabolism and macrophage polarization to alleviate rheumatoid arthritis","authors":"Yuxue Zhan ,&nbsp;Hengqi Zhang ,&nbsp;Tingting Guo ,&nbsp;Hailong Qin ,&nbsp;Lei Huang ,&nbsp;Nire Wu ,&nbsp;Jingyi Wang ,&nbsp;Xu Mu ,&nbsp;Jinglin Wang ,&nbsp;Mingming Li ,&nbsp;Kaiping Wang ,&nbsp;Yu Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2026.152182","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2026.152182","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by joint inflammation and systemic complications. Recent evidence has indicated that disrupted iron metabolism, notably elevated hepcidin expression and excessive iron accumulation in tissues, contributes to RA progression. In RA, Macrophages, which play a central role in both immune regulation and iron homeostasis, are often polarized toward the proinflammatory M1 phenotype. In this study, we investigated the therapeutic effects of <em>Angelica sinensis</em> polysaccharides (ASP, 100–400 mg/kg) in a collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) mouse model. ASP significantly alleviated joint swelling, histopathological damage, and iron deposition in the liver and spleen. It also downregulated hepcidin expression and restored the M1/M2 macrophage balance. Furthermore, immunofluorescence and western blotting confirmed increased ferroportin (FPN) and decreased ferritin levels in splenic macrophages. In an <em>in vitro</em> coculture model mimicking inflammation, ASP indirectly modulated macrophage iron handling and polarization by suppressing hepatocyte-derived hepcidin. RNA-seq analysis revealed that ASP treatment downregulated HIF-1α and NF-κB pathways, which link iron metabolism to macrophage activation, whereas the results of reactive oxygen species (ROS) assays supported its role in reducing oxidative stress associated with iron overload. Together, these findings suggest that ASP alleviates RA symptoms by restoring iron homeostasis and modulating macrophage polarization, primarily by targeting the hepcidin-FPN axis and related inflammatory pathways. ASP therefore holds promise as a low-toxicity, immunomodulatory candidate for RA therapy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":333,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Biological Macromolecules","volume":"364 ","pages":"Article 152182"},"PeriodicalIF":8.5,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147758824","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Preparation, characterization, and pre-clinical evaluation of acarbose-guar gum solid dispersions in diabetic rats","authors":"Sourbh Suren Garg ,&nbsp;Ankit Saneja ,&nbsp;Jeena Gupta","doi":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2026.152172","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2026.152172","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Acarbose, a clinically approved α-glucosidase inhibitor for type 2 diabetes, has limited efficacy due to gastrointestinal side effects, highlighting the need for delivery systems that modulate release and improve tolerability. This study aimed to develop and characterize acarbose-guar gum solid dispersions (AGSDs) and evaluate their physicochemical, <em>in vitro</em>, and <em>in vivo</em> properties. Solid-state characterization confirmed amorphous molecular dispersion with spherical particles and drug-polymer interactions. Among the developed solid dispersions, AGSD-3 showed the highest drug entrapment efficiency (84.24 ± 0.48%) and controlled release (86.19 ± 1.66% over 24 h), compared to free acarbose. It exhibited strong enzyme inhibition with IC₅₀ values of 6.97 ± 0.21 μg/mL (α-glucosidase) and 12.86 ± 0.18 μg/mL (α-amylase), along with favourable cytocompatibility and hemocompatibility. In high-fat diet (HFD)-fed, streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rat model, AGSD-3 at 50 mg/kg significantly reduced body weight and blood glucose (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.001), while gastrointestinal side effects, such as diarrhoea, were limited to a single day (score 1), indicating improved tolerability compared to acarbose alone. Treatment also restored pancreatic weight (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.001) and histology, and attenuated oxidative stress, and inflammation (p &lt; 0.001), indicating protective effects against diabetes-induced tissue damage. Overall, these findings suggest that guar gum-based solid dispersion represents a promising strategy to enhance the therapeutic efficacy and tolerability of acarbose for diabetes management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":333,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Biological Macromolecules","volume":"364 ","pages":"Article 152172"},"PeriodicalIF":8.5,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147758847","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"pH-tunable electro-responsive sodium alginate/chitosan-based Janus polyelectrolyte hydrogel with reversible bidirectional bending","authors":"Ting Wu ,&nbsp;Qiwei Wang ,&nbsp;Sihan Zhou ,&nbsp;Hecheng Chen ,&nbsp;Libing Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2026.152237","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2026.152237","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Polyelectrolyte hydrogels are ideal for soft actuators, but conventional chitosan/sodium alginate (CS/SA) ionic hydrogels face a critical trade-off among flexibility, ionic content, and actuation speed, hindering their practical applications. Herein, dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) and sodium acrylate (AAS) were used to modify CS-based polycationic and SA-based polyanionic networks, respectively. A Janus polyelectrolyte hydrogel (PCDM/PSSM) with seamless interface was fabricated via one-pot synthesis, electrohydrodynamic (EHD) printing, and in-situ photopolymerization. Microstructural characterization verified successful monomer grafting, amorphous/low-crystallinity networks, and robust interlocked interfaces. The hydrogel exhibited superior mechanical properties (PSSM achieving a tensile stress of 78.6 kPa and a strain of 775.6%, and PCDM achieving a tensile stress of 52.2 kPa and a strain of 808.9%, respectively), high ionic conductivity (13.81 × 10⁻³ S/cm for PSSM), and efficient electro-actuation (155° bending at 10 V). Its core advantage is pH-programmable reversible bidirectional bending: −145° toward the polyanionic layer at pH = 2 and + 151° toward the polycationic layer at pH ≥ 7, originating from pH-regulated asymmetric swelling of protonated/deprotonated functional groups and enhanced by electric-field-induced ion migration. Demonstrated applications included an underwater soft gripper for fragile object manipulation and a biomimetic flower for pH-responsive petal closure. This work resolves the longstanding trade-off of CS/SA hydrogels and provides a scalable strategy for high-performance stimuli-responsive soft actuators, promising broad use in soft robotics, bioinspired systems, and biomedical engineering.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":333,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Biological Macromolecules","volume":"363 ","pages":"Article 152237"},"PeriodicalIF":8.5,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147758786","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Phage display enabled the identification of single-domain nanobody antitoxins against botulinum neurotoxin serotype C","authors":"Ziye Liu ,&nbsp;Qinqin Wang ,&nbsp;Xinrui Yue ,&nbsp;Jinghan He ,&nbsp;Xiaoru Wang ,&nbsp;Fuwei Qi ,&nbsp;Wantong Ma ,&nbsp;Bo Liu ,&nbsp;Dang Ding ,&nbsp;Xinyao Ma ,&nbsp;Lunjia Zhang ,&nbsp;Xin Wang ,&nbsp;Dejuan Zhi ,&nbsp;Dongsheng Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2026.152226","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2026.152226","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Botulinum neurotoxin serotype C (BoNT/C) exhibits therapeutic efficacy and duration of action comparable to those of BoNT/A. It has been demonstrated to effectively manage movement disorders such as dystonia and blepharospasm, making it a highly promising alternative to BoNT/A. BoNT/C is also one of the primary etiological botulinum isoforms causing animal botulism and may pose a zoonotic risk. So, it is of great need to develop antidote that can treat human iatrogenic, foodborne and animal botulism caused by BoNT/C. Currently, the approved botulism antidotes primarily are polyvalent horse serum antitoxins, which are severely limited due to insufficient supply and adverse reactions. In this study, we developed a high-affinity nanobody A2, a variable domain of a heavy-chain antibody (VHH) against BoNT/C, based on phage display library screening. Our results demonstrated that A2 effectively blocked the binding of BoNT/C to its target cell. Furthermore, A2 exhibited potent neutralizing activity and rescued BoNT/C-intoxicated mice. These findings supported nanobody A2 as a promising antitoxin candidate with therapeutic efficacy against botulism.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":333,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Biological Macromolecules","volume":"364 ","pages":"Article 152226"},"PeriodicalIF":8.5,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147758801","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Vitellogenin and vitellogenin receptor in crustaceans: Macromolecular design rules linking yolk deposition, oocyte quality, and innate immunity","authors":"Enjie Chua ,&nbsp;Yin Zhang ,&nbsp;Leong-Seng Lim ,&nbsp;Xueyu Yan ,&nbsp;Kianann Tan","doi":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2026.152242","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2026.152242","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Vitellogenin (Vg) and the vitellogenin receptor (VgR) are usually discussed as endocrine readouts of ovarian maturation. Here they are treated as a coupled macromolecular system: a high-mass lipid/glyco-protein that must remain stable in hemolymph and a modular endocytic receptor that governs selective uptake, intracellular routing, and storage conversion. This perspective brings several underused mechanistic layers into focus. First, Vg performance is likely encoded by proteoforms created by glycosylation, proteolytic processing, and cargo loading, as shown by site-specific high-mannose glycans in crayfish Vg. Second, VgR functions as a kinetic throughput valve whose binding and recycling properties can become rate-limiting for yolk deposition, supported by receptor biochemistry in mud crab and functional silencing in shrimp. Third, immune functions and reproduction are directly coupled which Vg not only binds microbes via defined domains but also provides systemic antiviral and antioxidant defense, while ovarian VgR expression can modulate systemic immunity by regulating hemolymph Vg accumulation. Finally, recent evidence indicates that VgR-mediated uptake is a stress-buffering mechanism that protects vitellogenic oocyte formation under broader environmental challenges, including thermal, salinity, and heavy metal stress. We synthesize these findings into testable design rules and propose a practical toolkit such as glycoproteomics, lipidomics, binding biophysics, and structure-guided functional assays to move the field from transcript-level descriptions to predictive, intervention-ready mechanisms for elite aquaculture breeding and farm management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":333,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Biological Macromolecules","volume":"363 ","pages":"Article 152242"},"PeriodicalIF":8.5,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147758804","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Structural characterization and antitumor activity of a polysaccharide from Polygonatum cyrtonema Hua","authors":"Leilei Gao ,&nbsp;Lu Song ,&nbsp;Junhao Ji ,&nbsp;Susu Yang ,&nbsp;Fang Wang ,&nbsp;Jinfeng Chen ,&nbsp;Dong Liu ,&nbsp;Wei Wang ,&nbsp;Bangxing Han","doi":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2026.152253","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2026.152253","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Although polysaccharides from <em>Polygonatum cyrtonema</em> Hua have long been considered promising bioactive components, their antitumor effects have remained insufficiently defined. In this study, a homogeneous polysaccharide, PHP-1, was isolated and purified from <em>Polygonatum cyrtonema</em> Hua. Its structural characteristics and anti-tumor activity were analyzed. Structural characterization showed that PHP-1 was a branched fructan with a relatively narrow molecular weight distribution. In vitro experiments revealed that PHP-1 significantly inhibited the proliferation of several tumor cell lines, with the most pronounced effect observed in A375 cells. Additionally, in vitro experiments demonstrated that PHP-1 induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis by modulating the expression of key regulatory proteins, including CDK2, Cyclin A2, Bax, and Bcl-2. In vivo studies further confirmed that PHP-1 promotes apoptosis and effectively inhibits tumor growth in tumor-bearing mouse model. This study provides preliminary insights into the potential role of the newly identified homogeneous polysaccharide PHP-1 in cancer therapy, offering a theoretical foundation for the high-value utilization of <em>Polygonatum cyrtonema</em> Hua in anticancer research and related functional products.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":333,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Biological Macromolecules","volume":"364 ","pages":"Article 152253"},"PeriodicalIF":8.5,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147758814","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}