Effects of UV/H 2 O 2 degradation on Moringa oleifera Lam. leaves polysaccharides: Composition, in vitro fermentation and prebiotic properties on gut microorganisms

• Published in: Food Chemistry: X 2024-06, Vol.22, p.101272
• Main Authors: Yang, Min, Tao, Liang, Wang, Zi-Lin, Li, Ling-Fei, Zhao, Cun-Chao, Shi, Chong-Ying, Sheng, Jun, Tian, Yang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 2590-1575
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fochx.2024.101272

Lam. leaves are a new raw food material rich in polysaccharides. These polysaccharides exhibit various biological properties, including antioxidant, hypoglycemic and immunoregulatory effects. However, the use of Lam. leaves polysaccharides (MOLP) may be limited by their large molecular weight ( ) and presence of numerous impurities, such as pigments. Research has indicated that degraded polysaccharides usually exhibit high biological activity because of changes in physical structure and chemical properties. In this study, we focused on the extraction of a degraded-modified fraction from MOLP using the Ultraviolet/ Hydrogen peroxide (UV/H O ) method. Specifically, the physicochemical properties and glycosidic bond composition of a particular fraction (UV/H O degraded Lam. leaves polysaccharides in 3 h called DMOLP-3) were investigated. In addition, simulated digestion experiments showed that DMOLP-3 was only partially degraded during gastrointestinal digestion, indicating that DMOLP-3 can be utilised by gut microorganisms. Furthermore, the prebiotic properties of MOLP and DMOLP-3 was studied using an faecal fermentation model. The results indicated that compared with MOLP, DMOLP-3 led to a decrease in both the colour and of the polysaccharides. In addition, this model exhibited enhanced solubility and antioxidant capabilities while also influencing the surface morphology. Moreover, DMOLP-3 can facilitate the proliferation of advantageous microorganisms and enhance the synthesis of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). These results provide valuable insights into the utilization of bioactive components in Lam. leaves for the intestinal health.