What this means
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.
A plain-English summary is on its way. Until then, this is the start of the authors' own summary.
- Who it was tested in
- Not stated
- Kind of research
- A study
The science
- Original title
- 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
- Li D, Chen R, Xu J et al.
- Journal
- International journal of biological macromolecules
- Published
- Oct 26, 2026
- Study type
- Study
- PMID
- 42933614 ↗
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.
Li D, Chen R, Xu J et al. Structural characterization and antioxidant-associated anti-aging effects of polysaccharides from the aerial parts of Bupleurum chinense DC.: Insights from cellular and Drosophila models. International journal of biological macromolecules. 2026. doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2026.155042. PMID: 42933614. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42933614/