In recent decades, the polysaccharides from the medicinal plants have attracted a lot of attention due to their significant bioactivities, such as anti-tumor activity, antioxidant activity, anticoagulant activity, antidiabetic activity, radioprotection effect, anti-viral activity, hypolipidemic and immunomodulatory activities, which make them suitable for medicinal applications. Previous studies have also shown that medicinal plant polysaccharides are non-toxic and show no side effects. Based on these encouraging observations, most researches have been focusing on the isolation and identification of polysaccharides, as well as their bioactivities. A large number of bioactive polysaccharides with different structural features and biological effects from medicinal plants have been purified and characterized. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the most recent developments in physiochemical, structural features and biological activities of bioactive polysaccharides from a number of important medicinal plants, such as polysaccharides from Astragalus membranaceus, Dendrobium plants, Bupleurum, Cactus fruits, Acanthopanax senticosus, Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels, Aloe barbadensis Miller, and Dimocarpus longan Lour. Moreover, the paper has also been focused on the applications of bioactive polysaccharides for medicinal applications. Recent studies have provided evidence that polysaccharides from medicinal plants can play a vital role in bioactivities. The contents and data will serve as a useful reference material for further investigation, production, and application of these polysaccharides in functional foods and therapeutic agents.

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There is evidence that fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) and inulin can impart a range of health benefits if consumed on a regular basis. The health benefits include increased mineral absorption and improved immune response and while there is mounting evidence that prebiotics play a role in colorectal cancer prevention, their role in feeling of satiety and weight management is still being investigated.In this review we look at the evidence published so far on FOS or inulin supplementation and weight management. We also establish whether prebiotic enriched breads are feasible in terms of dough machinability, bread characteristics and consumers acceptance.Addition of inulin to bread generally resulted in smaller loaves with a harder crumb and darker colour. The limited sensory studies on those products reflect those findings and acceptability decreased with inulin content. However, a fortification of 5% seems achievable. Despite evidence that yeast invertase and dry heat degrade inulin, the extent to which this is the case and whether the prebiotics maintain their activity is not known.There is still a great deal of work to be done to establish whether a bread prepared with enough inulin to retain a significant activity can be manufactured without compromising consumer acceptance.Keywords: Fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS); inulin; bread; satiety; texture; consumer acceptance 3 HighlightsThere is tentative evidence that inulin supplementation may help a certain proportion of the population actively manage their weight Addition of inulin to bread generally resulted in smaller loaves with a harder crumb and darker colour.Limited sensory studies on those products reflect those findings and acceptability decreased with inulin content.Yeast invertase and dry heat degrade inulin.Fructo-oligosaccharides / inulin fortification in bread at a level of 5% seems achievable. 4 Prebiotics: documented health benefits and market growthThere is evidence that prebiotics can impart a range of health benefits if consumed on a regular basis. There have been a number of excellent papers and reviews on the topic of prebiotics and their health benefits (Macfarlane, Macfarlane & Cummings, 2006, Roberfroid et al., 2010. The health benefits include increased mineral absorption (Hawthorne & Abrams, 2008, Rastall, 2010 and improved immune response (Macfarlane, Steed & Macfarlane, 2007, Seifert & Watzl, 2008) and while there is mounting evidence that prebiotics play a role in colorectal cancer prevention (Asad, Emenaker & Milner, 2008) or cancer therapy (Taper & Roberfroid, 2008), their role in feelings of satiety and weight management is still being investigated.It has been suggested that there is an interaction between body weight and the effect of fibre on satiety and energy intake (Burton-Freeman, 2000). Beyond the direct (prebiotic effect) and indirect (fat / sugar substitution) health benefits to be gained from the incorporation of prebiotics to food, the resulting sensory properties of the final products have to be adequately monitored ...

20Pectin was isolated by aqueous extraction at pH 6.0 from the pods of six different okra 21 genotypes (Abelmoschus esculentus L.). Genetic diversity was determined using fragment length

Chitosans and pectins are natural polysaccharides which show great potential in drug delivery systems.Chitosans are a family of strongly polycationic derivatives of poly-N-acetyl-Dglucosamine. This positive charge is very important in chitosan drug delivery systems as it plays a very important role in mucoadhesion (adhesion to the mucosal surface). other chitosan based drug delivery systems involve complexation with ligands to form chitosan nanoparticles with can be used to encapsulate active compounds.Pectins are made of several structural elements the most important of which are the homogalacturonan (HG) and type I rhamnogalacturonan (RG-I) regions often described in simplified terms as the "smooth" and "hairy" regions respectively. Pectin HG regions consist of poly-glacturonic acid residues which can be partially methyl esterified. Pectins with a degree of methyl esterification (DM) > 50% are known as high methoxyl (HM) pectins and consequently low methoxyl (lM) pectins have a DM < 50%. low methoxyl pectins are of particular interest in drug delivery as they can form gels with calcium ion (Ca 2+ ) which has potential applications especially in nasal formulations.Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Reviews -Vol. 27, 257-284 (2010) Polysaccharide drug delivery systems based on pectin and chitosan Chitosans are a family of strongly polycationic derivatives of poly-N-acetyl-Dglucosamine. This positive charge is very important in chitosan drug delivery systems as it plays a very important role in mucoadhesion (adhesion to the mucosal surface). Other chitosan based drug delivery systems involve complexation with ligands to form chitosan nanoparticles with can be used to encapsulate active compounds.Pectins are made of several structural elements the most important of which are the homogalacturonan (HG) and type I rhamnogalacturonan (RG-I) regions often described in simplified terms as the "smooth" and "hairy" regions respectively. Pectin HG regions consist of poly-glacturonic acid residues which can be partially methyl esterified. Pectins with a degree of methyl esterification (DM) > 50% are known as high methoxyl (HM) pectins and consequently low methoxyl (LM) pectins have a DM <50%. Low methoxyl pectins are of particular interest in drug delivery as they can form gels with calcium ion (Ca') which has potential applications especially in nasal formulations.