Gastrodia elata polysaccharides: A comprehensive review of extraction, purification, characterization, structure-activity relationship and quality control applications

Gastrodia elata Blume (G. elata) has been utilized as homologous origin in medicine and food for over 2000 years. Gastrodia elata polysaccharides (GEP), the key bioactive components, have attracted increasing attention owing to their natural origin, potent bioactivities and low toxicity. Despite significant progress, multiple critical issues still need to be addressed. Current studies often summarize structural characterization and activities separately, with limited focus on advanced structures and structure-activity relationships. Moreover, the insufficient emphasis of GEP in the quality control of G. elata in the current pharmacopoeia has led to persistent challenges, including batch variability and lack of standardization of GEP. This review systematically summarizes recent advancements in the extraction, purification, and structural characterization of GEP, specifically to summarize the advanced structure of GEP and to introduce new techniques for structural elucidation. While we highlight relationships between structures and activities, and discuss their potential role in improving G. elata quality control. Looking forward, a dual chemical-biological quality control framework is proposed, alongside multidisciplinary approaches such as metabolomics, synthetic biology, and artificial intelligence (AI) to promote standardized production and clinical translation of GEP, thereby facilitating their broader application in medicine and functional foods.