International Journal of Molecular Medical Science, 2025, Vol.15, No.2, 80-88 http://medscipublisher.com/index.php/ijmms 81 YPs may also help the gut. New research shows that gut bacteria are linked to insulin resistance and inflammation. YPs seem to help good gut bacteria grow, like Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. These bacteria help control sugar and fat in the body (Yang et al., 2021; Le et al., 2021). But we still need more research to fully understand how YPs work and what the best amount is for humans. This study will look closely at what YPs are made of, how they are built, and what they do in the body. The goal is to see if they can help stop pre-diabetes from turning into diabetes. This could give new ideas for using plant-based food as part of daily care for people at risk of diabetes. 2 Composition and Structure of Yam Polysaccharides 2.1 Monosaccharide composition of YPs Yam polysaccharides (YPs) come from many types of yams in the Dioscorea family. They are made of simple sugars, also called monosaccharides. The types and amounts of these sugars can change. It depends on the yam variety, how it was processed, and where it was grown (Liu et al., 2019). Some common sugars found in YPs are glucose, galactose, arabinose, xylose, rhamnose, and mannose. These sugars show up in different amounts. That mix can change how YPs work in the body (Feng et al., 2022). For example, a study on Chinese yam found that it had a lot of rhamnose, arabinose, and galacturonic acid. These sugars might help control blood sugar by linking to special spots on cells (Chen et al., 2019). More glucose and galactose may help lower blood sugar better. Sugars like glucuronic acid may help reduce stress from oxidation, which is linked to diabetes (Huang et al., 2019). These sugars also help start certain pathways in the body-like the AMPK pathway-that help insulin work and help cells take in sugar (Yang et al., 2015). Because of this, YPs might be useful as part of a healthy diet for people with pre-diabetes. 2.2 Types of YPs and extraction methods How YPs are taken out from yam roots matters a lot. It changes their makeup and how well they work (Zhou et al., 2021). People usually use hot water or alcohol to get YPs. Some also use newer ways like ultrafiltration or chromatography to make them cleaner. One study pulled out three types of YPs-called HSY-I, HSY-II, and HSY-III-based on their size. Their weights ranged from big (>50 kDa) to small (<10 kDa). The bigger ones, HSY-I and HSY-II, worked better to lower blood sugar in diabetic mice (Li et al., 2017). Some new ways, like using deep eutectic solvents (DESs), can pull out more YPs and keep their shape (Ouyang et al., 2021). When used with chromatography, these methods give better YPs. Enzymes can help too. They break open plant cell walls, so the sugars come out more easily. This works well for getting smaller YPs. Small YPs dissolve better and are easier for the body to take in. They also help grow good gut bacteria. That’s really helpful for people who have problems with blood sugar (Xiao et al., 2022). 2.3 Relevance of YP structural properties to bioactivity The way YPs are built-like how heavy they are, how the sugars are linked, and how they branch—affects how they work. Heavier YPs often have stronger effects. They help lower blood sugar and fight oxidation better, possibly because they stay active in the body longer (Li et al., 2017). Some sugar links in YPs, like β-(1→3) and α-(1→6), might help make the immune system stronger. They also help lower pressure inside the cells (Yang et al., 2015). When YPs have more small side chains, they may work even better. They can help remove bad stuff from the body and let cells take in more sugar (Zhao et al., 2005). Bonds called β-glycosidic links also help. They make YPs more stable and easier for the body to handle. This is why YPs are used in healthy foods and added products (Feng et al., 2022). Uronic acids in YPs help them mix with water. This makes it easier for them to work with enzymes and connect to spots on cells that help manage blood sugar (Wang et al., 2018). These acids also lower stress in cells, which can help reduce inflammation and insulin resistance-two big problems in pre-diabetes (Chen et al., 2019).
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