Isolation, purification, and antioxidant activities of polysaccharides from Ziziphus Jujuba cv. Muzao

In the present study, crude polysaccharides from Ziziphus Jujuba cv. Muzao were isolated and purified using DEAE cellulose-52 and Sephadex G-100 size-exclusion chromatography; four fractions were collected, namely GZMP-1, GZMP-2, GZMP-3, and GZMP-4. The molecular weights of these four fractions were measured to be 111.2, 95.1, 84.2, and 571.4 kDa, respectively, using high-performance gel permeation chromatography. Gas chromatography analysis of the monosaccharide composition confirmed that GZMP-1 was composed of rhamnose, arabinose, glucose, and galactose. Rhamnose, arabinose, and galactose were the main components present in GZMP-2 and GZMP-3, whereas GZMP-4 was composed of only rhamnose and arabinose. Scanning electron microscopy showed relatively smooth surfaces for GZMP-1 and GZMP-4, whereas GZMP-2 and GZMP-3 had more folds on their surfaces. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analyses indicated that GZMP-1 and ZMP mainly had α-type glycosidic linkages. The in vitro antioxidant activities of the polysaccharides revealed that jujube polysaccharides exhibit remarkable antioxidant activity, and can scavenge DPPH radical and OH radical in a concentration-dependent manner. The results of this work suggest that polysaccharides from Z. Jujuba cv. Muzao have potential to be used as functional food and in the development of natural antioxidant drug carriers.