Isolation and characterization of feruloylated oligosaccharides from Phyllostachys acuta and in vitro antioxidant activity

Feruloylated oligosaccharides (FOs) generated by decomposing plant hemicellulose, offer a wide range of potential applications in both the food and biomedical areas. As a graminaceous plant, bamboo is rich in hemicellulose. However, the structural composition and activity studies of FOs from it were rarely reported. In this study, FOs from Phyllostachys acuta (pFOs) obtained by enzymatic hydrolysis were isolated by AmberliteXAD-2 and C18 SPE columns. Then, pFOs were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed by UPLC-ESI-MS/MS after labeled by 3-Amino-9-ethyl-carbazole (AEC), and the chemical antioxidant activity of pFOs and effects of pFOs on H₂O₂-induced oxidative damage were investigated. Finally, 14 of pFOs isomers were distinguished and identified, of which 10 did not contain hexoses and 4 did, and the three most abundant pFO structures were 12 (Iso 7, F1A1X2H2-AEC, 29.04 %), 11 (Iso 6, F1A1X1H2-AEC, 17.96 %), and 4 (Iso 3-1, F1A1X3-AEC, 15.57 %). The results of antioxidant studies showed that pFOs possessed certain reducing power, scavenging DPPH radicals, scavenging superoxide anion radicals, and scavenging hydroxyl radicals. Among them, the ability to clear DPPH radicals was particularly significant. pFOs significantly reduced the viability of RAW264.7 cells after H₂O₂ induction, whereas pFOs had a significant protective effect (p < 0.001). pFOs increased the viability of T-AOC and SOD enzymes in oxidatively damaged cells, as well as had a significant inhibition effect on ROS elevation (p < 0.001). This study lays the foundation for the structural analysis and antioxidant activity evaluation of bamboo-derived feruloyl oligosaccharides for their application in food and pharmaceutical fields.