International Journal of Molecular Medical Science, 2024, Vol.14, No.6, 342-354 http://medscipublisher.com/index.php/ijmms 343 immune cells such as macrophages, dendritic cells, and T-lymphocytes. LBPs also promote the production of cytokines, proteins that are essential for cell signaling in immune responses. These immunomodulatory properties make LBPs promising candidates for enhancing immune function, potentially helping to prevent and treat infections, autoimmune diseases, and even certain cancers (Zhang et al., 2019). Furthermore, emerging research highlights the role of LBPs in maintaining gut health and modulating the gut microbiota, which is increasingly recognized as a key factor in immune regulation. LBPs have been shown to improve the diversity and abundance of beneficial gut bacteria, such as Bifidobacteriaceae and Prevotellaceae, which are positively associated with immune health (Wang et al., 2021). By interacting with gut microbiota, LBPs may contribute to immune homeostasis, thus offering protection against diseases that stem from immune dysfunction, such as inflammatory bowel disease and systemic infections. This study will comprehensively analyze the antioxidant and immunomodulatory effects of Lycium Barbarum Polysaccharides (LBPs), elucidating their roles at the cellular and molecular levels. It will also explore the pathways and signaling mechanisms involved. The research aims to deepen the understanding of LBPs' therapeutic potential in preventing and treating oxidative stress-related and immune-mediated diseases. This study offers possibilities for developing new therapeutic strategies targeting oxidative stress and immune dysfunction. 2 Chemical Composition and Structural Features of Lycium Barbarum Polysaccharides (LBPs) 2.1 Polysaccharide composition Lycium barbarum polysaccharides (LBPs) are a complex group of natural polymers primarily composed of various monosaccharides such as glucose, mannose, xylose, galactose, and arabinose (Figure 1). These polysaccharides are usually extracted through water-based methods, often followed by ethanol precipitation, which isolates the crude polysaccharides. The crude extracts are typically subjected to further purification processes like deproteinization and ion-exchange chromatography to remove non-polysaccharide components such as proteins, lipids, and small molecules. Various extraction methods, including microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE), and classical hot water extraction (HWE), have been compared for their efficacy in yielding different polysaccharide fractions (Cai et al., 2024). HWE tends to yield a higher total polysaccharide content, while MAE is more effective for isolating polysaccharide-protein complexes, which may have different biological activities (Hao et al., 2020). Figure 1 The Six Main Monosaccharide Components of Lycium Barbarum Polysaccharides (LBP) (Adapted from Qi et al., 2022) Image caption: The monosaccharide components include galactose, glucose, rhamnose, arabinose, mannose, and xylose. These sugars form the core active structure of LBP and play crucial physiological roles through various signaling pathways. Research indicates that LBP regulates a range of pharmacological activities, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-aging, hypoglycemic, and lipid-lowering effects, through pathways such as NF-κB, PI3K-Akt-mTOR, p38-MAPK, and Wnt-β-catenin. The antioxidant properties of these monosaccharides contribute significantly to LBP's physiological functions, particularly in neuroprotection, anti-tumor activity, and immunomodulation (Adapted from Qi et al., 2022)
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