Preparation, Structural Characterization and Biological Activity Study of Selenium-Rich Polysaccharides from Cyclocarya paliurus
Yulan Dong, Zijue Wang, Qinghui Xia, Juan Chen, Qingxue Lv, Shaopeng Zhang, Shuiyuan Cheng, Xiaoling Chen, Xingxing Dong
Abstract
In this study, we extracted, separated, and purified polysaccharides from Se-enriched Cyclocarya paliurus (Se-CPP-1) and compared them with their non-Se-enriched counterparts (CPP-1) to investigate the impact of selenium on their structural and functional properties. Structural characterization by HPLC, GC-MS, and SEM revealed that Se-CPP-1 is an acidic heteropolysaccharide with a lower molecular weight (76.6 vs. 109.22 kDa), smaller particle size (418.22 vs. 536.96 nm), and higher negative zeta potential (−43.15 vs. −21.29 mV), indicating enhanced colloidal stability. SEM imaging further demonstrated a distinctive flaky morphology in Se-CPP-1. Functional assays showed that Se-CPP-1 significantly outperformed CPP-1 in scavenging free radicals (DPPH/ABTS), stimulating RAW264.7 macrophage proliferation (CCK-8 assay), enhancing phagocytic activity, and promoting NO secretion. These improvements were attributed to selenium-induced modifications in polysaccharide conformation and surface properties. Our findings highlight the potential of selenium fortification in developing high-efficacy C. paliurus polysaccharides for antioxidant and immunomodulatory applications.