meningococcal polysaccharide AC vaccine (Mengllingkang)

Antioxidant and anti-aging effects of polysaccharides extracted from Camellia oleifera branches.

Lu Shengjia S, Xin Jianghui J, Cheng Ligui L, Ou Yanghui Y et al.

Camellia oleifera Abel is extensively cultivated for edible oil, generating abundant leaves, shells, and branches as by-products. However, the bioactivity of polysaccharides from these different tissues remains poorly characterized. To valorize these agricultural wastes, six crude polysaccharides were extracted from the leaves, shells, and branches of C. oleifera using hot water extraction (HWE) and ultrasound-assisted hot water extraction (USHWE). Their physicochemical properties were compared, and in vitro anti-inflammatory effects were evaluated to identify the most promising fraction. The active polysaccharide was purified, and its in vivo anti-aging potential was investigated in Caenorhabditis elegans. Physicochemical characterization revealed distinct structural and compositional differences among the six polysaccharides. Notably, the polysaccharide obtained from branches by HWE (HWE-Branch), which possessed a high total sugar content (35.35%), showed the most potent suppression of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) expression in RAW264.7 macrophages, exceeding the effect of dexamethasone. This fraction was purified to yield a homogeneous polysaccharide designated C. oleifera branch polysaccharide (CBP). In C. elegans, CBP extended lifespan in a concentration-dependent manner; at 4 mg mL-1, the median lifespan increased by 32.6% compared with the control. Under cyclic heat stress, 4 mg mL-1 CBP maintained 38.38% survival after four cycles, whereas all control nematodes died. Furthermore, CBP significantly reduced intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lipofuscin levels. At 4 mg mL-1, ROS fluorescence intensity decreased from 48.84% to 21.79% and lipofuscin from 25.03% to 10.23%. Purified C. oleifera branch polysaccharide CBP showed strong anti-aging effects in C. elegans by scavenging ROS, attenuating lipofuscin accumulation, and enhancing stress resistance. These findings indicate that CBP is a promising natural ingredient for anti-aging interventions and support the valorization of C. oleifera processing by-products. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.

Solvent-Chirality-Gated Recognition of Carbon Nanotubes by Polysaccharides.

Yoshida Kazuhiro K, Hatakeyama Yoshikiyo Y, Nonoguchi Yoshiyuki Y

Chiral molecular recognition is typically achieved through static complementarity between chiral hosts and molecular guests. Dynamic control of such recognition through external stimuli remains an important challenge, particularly for interactions involving extended solid surfaces. Here we show that solvent chirality can act as an external control parameter that modulates the conformation of polysaccharide dispersants and thereby creates a tunable chiral recognition field for one-dimensional nanomaterials. By continuously varying the enantiomeric excess of chiral solvents, the conformation of cellulose acetate can be modulated, resulting in switchable selectivity in the extraction of semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). Spectroscopic and structural analyses reveal that solvent chirality alters the balance between inter- and intramolecular interactions within the polysaccharide, leading to distinct conformational states that influence nanotube recognition. These findings demonstrate that chiral solvation can dynamically modulate macromolecular recognition fields and provide a strategy for controlling interactions between soft matter and extended solid nanostructures.

Xy-31 and Lat-1 regulate the induction of polysaccharide disintegrating genes by arabinose in Neurospora crassa OR74A.

Singh Shriya S, Adlakha Nidhi N

Arabinose has been identified as a potent inducer of the cellulase regulon in filamentous fungi. However, the precise molecular mechanisms that drive this induction remain largely unknown. This study aimed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the arabinose-induced activation of cellulase and hemicellulase enzyme clusters in the model filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa OR74A. Arabinose stimulates the secretion of cellulases and hemicellulases in N. crassa. While genome-wide scrutiny predicted several sugar transporters in N. crassa, expression studies under avicel and arabinan conditions indicated a notable upregulation of pentose transporters encoded by the lat-1 and xy-31 genes. The lat-1 and xy-31 deleted strains showed reduced arabinose uptake and diminished growth on arabinose media, highlighting their role in arabinose transport. Additionally, these transporter-deficient strains exhibited a significant decrease in endoglucanase and arabinase activity, which correlated with lower expression of cellulase-encoding transcripts, indicating the crucial roles of Lat-1 and Xy-31 in promoting the secretion of enzymes that degrade biomass. Consistent with these findings, overexpression of lat-1 and xy-31 in N. crassa resulted in a significant increase in cellulase secretion. We demonstrated that N. crassa has multiple pentose transporters. Furthermore, we validated that the Lat-1 and Xy-31 transporters play crucial roles in arabinose-mediated induction of polysaccharide-disintegrating enzymes in N. crassa. Both transporters are required for efficient arabinose uptake and for the subsequent arabinose-dependent induction of polysaccharide-disintegrating enzymes. Collectively, these findings significantly advance the molecular understanding of fungal hemicellulose utilization and identify key transporters that represent promising targets for enhancing fungal biomass bioconversion.

Santosh B. Satbhai.

Santosh B. Satbhai, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali (India).