Structure characteristics of a pectic polysaccharide from the leaves of Cornus officinalis Sieb. et Zucc. (Shanzhuyu) and its inhibition on hepatocellular carcinoma

→. Its branched side chains include →6)-α-Galp-(1→, →3)-α-Araf-(1→, →3,5)-α-Araf-(1→, and →2)-α-Rhap-(1→, with substitutions at C-3 of the Glc residue and C-4 of Rha residue, respectively. PCL-2I suppressed HCC growth in vivo and induced apoptosis in vitro by targeting pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2), thereby attenuating glycolysis and disrupting hypoxia-inducible factor-1α oncogenic signaling. These effects may be attributed to PCL-2I's high content of arabinose and galactose. This study provides a theoretical foundation for utilizing PCL2I, a pectic polysaccharide from C. officinalis leaves, as a potential therapeutic agent against HCC by targeting PKM2.