Extraction, purification, structural characterization and biological activity of polysaccharides from Fritillaria: A review

Fritillaria is a traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) with a history of thousands of years. Fritillaria always contain saponins, alkaloids, amino acids, flavones, and polysaccharides. Among them, Fritillaria polysaccharide has a variety of biological activities. Its anti-inflammatory and antiaging activities are new study hotspots. The extraction, purification, quantitative determination, monosaccharide composition, and biological activity of Fritillaria polysaccharides have been examined for several years in an attempt to identify the active components and understand the pharmacological process. In this review, ample original publications related to the distribution, extraction, purification, quantitative determination, monosaccharide composition and biological activities of Fritillaria until 2023 were searched and collected by using various literature databases. Databases included the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP database, Wan Fang database, PubMed, Elsevier, Springer, Science Direct, Google Scholar and Web of Science database, as well as the classic Chinese medical books and PhD and MSc theses. The properties and outcomes of various extractions, purifications, quantitative determination methods, monosaccharide compositions, and biological activities of Fritillaria polysaccharides are discussed here. Additionally, we summarize the research potential of Fritillaria polysaccharide and identify promising research direction candidates.