From Plants to Bone Health: A Review on Polysaccharides from Agricultural and Medicinal Botanicals for Osteoporosis Management

Osteoporosis, a prevalent metabolic bone disorder, poses a growing global health challenge. Plant-derived polysaccharides, especially those from edible and medicinal botanicals, have attracted considerable interest as dietary bioactive compounds with multitarget regulatory functions and favorable safety profiles. However, a comprehensive understanding linking their botanical sources, mechanisms of action, and structure-activity relationships (SARs) is still lacking. This review synthesizes recent advances in osteoprotective polysaccharides from agricultural and medicinal plants, focusing on their source diversity, molecular mechanisms (including the gut-bone axis), and structural determinants of bioactivity. We further discuss challenges and strategies for their application as functional food components or nutraceuticals. By proposing a novel "Resource-Mechanism-Structure-Translation" framework, this work aims to bridge existing knowledge gaps and provide a roadmap for the development of plant-based polysaccharide ingredients aimed at skeletal health support.