International Journal of Molecular Medical Science, 2025, Vol.15, No.2, 89-97 http://medscipublisher.com/index.php/ijmms 89 Research Insight Open Access Structural Characterization and Immunomodulatory Functions of Cordyceps Polysaccharides Yinchen Zhao, Haomin Chen Tropical Medicinal Plant Research Center, Hainan Institute of Tropical Agricultural Resources, Sanya, 572025, Hainan, China Corresponding author: haomin.chen@hitar.org International Journal of Molecular Medical Science, 2025, Vol.15, No.2 doi: 10.5376/ijmms.2025.15.0009 Received: 14 Feb., 2025 Accepted: 23 Mar., 2025 Published: 11 Apr., 2025 Copyright © 2025 Zhao and Chen, This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Preferred citation for this article: Zhao Y.C., and Chen H.M., 2025, Structural characterization and immunomodulatory functions of Cordyceps polysaccharides, International Journal of Molecular Medical Science, 15(2): 89-97 (doi: 10.5376/ijmms.2025.15.0009) Abstract This study analyzed the chemical structural characteristics of Cordyceps sinensis polysaccharides, such as monosaccharide composition (glucose, galactose, mannose, etc.), molecular weight and glycosidic bond type, and investigated their multi-level regulation of innate immunity and adaptive immunity. Specifically, it includes its activation effects on macrophages, NK cells, T cells and B cells, as well as the molecular mechanisms of triggering signaling pathways such as NF-κB and MAPK through receptors such as TLRs and Dectin-1. The results show that polysaccharides of different molecular weights and structures have significant differences in immunomodulatory effects. Both in vivo and in vitro experiments have proved that polysaccharides from Cordyceps sinensis can significantly enhance immune function, especially by regulating innate and adaptive immunity through the synergistic action of multiple targets. In addition, chemically modifying it or combining it with other functional substances can further enhance its immune activity. This study provides a theoretical basis for analyzing the molecular mechanism of action of Cordyceps sinensis polysaccharides and also offers a technical reference for their application and development in medicine and health products. Keywords Cordyceps polysaccharides; Structural characterization; Immunomodulation; Signaling pathways; Functional development 1 Introduction Cordyceps sinensis is a parasitic fungus and has long been used as a traditional Chinese medicine for health preservation and care (Zhou et al., 2009; Qu et al., 2022; Krishna et al., 2023). The polysaccharide components it contains have attracted much attention due to their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects (Liu et al., 2016; Bi et al., 2018; Zhang et al., 2020). These polysaccharides are composed of different sugar molecules, and their structures and functions vary due to their sources and extraction methods (Luo et al., 2017; He et al., 2019). The diversity of polysaccharide structures directly affects their biological activities. Therefore, analyzing the structure is an important link to understand their health effects (Miao et al., 2022; Zheng et al., 2022). By systematically studying the structural characteristics of polysaccharides, the principle of their regulation of immunity can be better understood. In recent years, researchers have revealed the complex structure of this type of polysaccharide by using techniques such as nuclear magnetic resonance and methylation detection (Bi et al., 2018; He et al., 2019; Zhang et al., 2020). For example, studies have found that the special molecular connection mode and branch structure of Cordyceps polysaccharides are closely related to their ability to activate the immune system (Liu et al., 2016; Luo et al., 2017). Mastering these structural characteristics enables an in-depth analysis of how they interact with immune cells through signaling pathways such as MAPK (He et al., 2019; Liu et al., 2021). Studying the relationship between the structure and function of polysaccharides is helpful for finding the molecular characteristics that play a key role (Miao et al., 2022; Zheng et al., 2022). These findings can not only guide the development of health foods with immune regulatory functions, but also provide new ideas for the treatment of immune-related diseases (Wang et al., 2017; Bi et al., 2018; He et al., 2019). This study will review the structural characteristics and immunomodulatory functions of Cordyceps sinensis polysaccharides, highlight their key role features, and explore their application prospects in the fields of health
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