Characteristics of selenium polysaccharide from sweet corncob and its effects on non-enzymatic glycosylation in vivo
Zhili Wang, Xin Wang, Weiye Xiu, MA Yong-qiang
Abstract
Abstract Selenium polysaccharide is an organic selenium compound, which has attracted much attention because of its unique biological properties. In the current study, a new selenium polysaccharide (Se-SCP) was synthesised, and its structure and effects on non-enzymatic glycosylation in vivo were studied. The molecular weight of Se-SCP was 9.02 g/mol, and its molecule was mainly composed of Man, Gal, GluA, Ara, Glu, Fuc, Rha, GalA, and Xyl. Selenium was present both as C–O–Se and Se=O. Compared with non-selenised sweet corncob polysaccharide (SCP) treatment, the blood glucose level in mice decreased considerably after Se-SCP treatment. Additionally, it improved oral glucose tolerance (OGTT) and significantly reduced the production of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) ( P < 0.05), compared with the model group. In addition, Se-SCP exhibited a positive effect on the morphology of the pancreas and liver. The current study elucidated the physiological and pharmacological effects of selenium polysaccharides and provided a basis for future studies on selenium polysaccharides.