Natural polysaccharides for ulcerative colitis

Ulcerative colitis is a colonic disease characterized by the disruption of the mucosal epithelial layer and inflammation. For the treatment of this disease, various chemotherapeutic agents are available. However, the toxicities associated with chemotherapeutics greatly hamper treatment. Polysaccharide from natural resources is emerging as a potentially therapeutic substance with comparative minimum adverse effects. In this article, we are discussing polysaccharide from diverse sources (plants, edible mushrooms, and algae) which are being used in the treatment of ulcerative colitis. These polysaccharides exert their therapeutic action on ulcerative colitis through several mechanisms, including suppression of inflammatory cascades NF-ĸB, MAPK, IL-6/JAK2/STAT3, preventing the release of certain inflammatory mediators, modulating the intestinal microbiome, maintaining the integrity of intestinal barriers, and regulating the certain inflammatory markers. The present review compiles the role of different polysaccharides being used successfully in the management/treatment of ulcerative colitis. Special emphasis was given to explaining the biomolecular pathway.