Structural characterization and antioxidant-associated anti-aging effects of polysaccharides from the aerial parts of Bupleurum chinense DC.: Insights from cellular and Drosophila models.

Authors

Danqi Li, Rong Chen, Jianing Xu, Xixi Lu, Changfeng Liu, Cheng Du, Yixing Gao, Pinyi Gao, Xuegui Liu

Published in

International journal of biological macromolecules. Pages 155042. Oct 26, 2026. Epub Oct 26, 2026.

Abstract

Bupleurum chinense DC. is a traditional medicinal plant, but the relationship between structural heterogeneity of its polysaccharides and oxidative stress-related biological activities remains unclear. In this study, two polysaccharide fractions, BCPS-1 and BCPS-2, were obtained from aerial parts of B. chinense. Their molecular characteristics, monosaccharide compositions, glycosidic linkage patterns, and conformational features were systematically characterized using chromatographic and spectroscopic approaches. BCPS-1 exhibited stronger in vitro antioxidant activity than BCPS-2, which was correlated with its higher uronic acid content and unique structural characteristics. In H₂O₂-induced SH-SY5Y cell injury models, BCPS-1 significantly improved cell viability, enhanced antioxidant defense capacity by increasing T-AOC, SOD, and GSH-Px activities, and reduced MDA accumulation. Furthermore, BCPS-1 treatment increased Nrf2 and HO-1 expression, while inhibition of Nrf2 partially attenuated its protective effect, suggesting that the Nrf2/HO-1 antioxidant response may contribute to its cytoprotective activity. In Drosophila melanogaster, dietary supplementation with BCPS-1 increased lifespan parameters and improved antioxidant-related indices under the tested experimental conditions. Collectively, this study reveals a correlative structure-function relationship between acidic polysaccharide characteristics and oxidative stress-associated bioactivities of B. chinense polysaccharides, highlighting BCPS-1 as a promising candidate for further development as a functional polysaccharide ingredient associated with oxidative stress regulation and healthy aging.

PMID:
42933614
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 27 Oct 2026.

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