Degradation Polysaccharides from Benincasa hispida var. chieh‐qua How: Unveiling Bioactive Properties of Degraded Compounds

Abstract This study reported an effective method for the degradation of Chieh‐qua ( Benincasa hispida var. Chieh‐qua How) polysaccharides (BHCP) by a hydrogen peroxide‐ascorbic acid oxidation (H 2 O 2 ‐V C ) system. The degradation conditions were optimized using a Box‐Behnken response surface design as concentration of H 2 O 2 ‐V C 19.5 mM, degradation temperature 46.4 °C and degradation time 1.0 h. The average molecular weight was decreased and total sugar content was raised of the degraded polysaccharide (DBHCP). Two refined degraded polysaccharides (DBHCP‐1, DBHCP‐2) were purified and prepared, and their structures were analyzed by chemical and spectral analysis. The in vitro experiments showed that degraded polysaccharides (DBHCP and DBHCP‐1) have better antioxidant and anti‐tyrosinase activity than natural polysaccharide BHCP. These findings support the potential application of Chieh‐qua polysaccharides in the food and medical industries.