Research Progress on the Chemical Modification and Biological Activities of Polysaccharides from Traditional Chinese Medicine

doi:10.19586/j.2095-2341.2025.0032

Current Biotechnology ›› 2025, Vol. 15 ›› Issue (5): 854-864.DOI: 10.19586/j.2095-2341.2025.0032

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Research Progress on the Chemical Modification and Biological Activities of Polysaccharides from Traditional Chinese Medicine

Shengbo XIA¹(), Congyang HUANG²

^1.School of Pharmacy，Harbin University of Commerce，Harbin 150076，China
^2.Huangcongyang TCM Clinic，Heilongjiang Qiqihar 161006，China

Received:2025-03-05 Accepted:2025-03-28 Online:2025-09-25 Published:2025-11-11

Abstract

Abstract:

Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） has been used in China for thousands of years to treat diseases. The components of TCM are notoriously complex and sourced from a wide variety of origins， including plants， animals， fungi， and minerals. Polysaccharides represent a major class of bioactive constituents in TCM. TCM polysaccharides exhibit a broad spectrum of biological activities， such as immunomodulatory， antiviral， anti-inflammatory， antioxidant， and antitumor effects， which have attracted sustained and growing interest in the scientific community. Current research mainly focuses on the extraction， purification， and biological activities of TCM polysaccharides. Advances on polysaccharide chemistry technology have enabled the targeted enhancement of bioactivity through chemical modifications， such as sulfation， phosphorylation， and acetylation， making this an emerging frontier in the field. This review summarized recent studies on the chemical modifications and biological activities of TCM polysaccharides， offering new perspectives for future research and application of structurally modified polysaccharides.

Key words: traditional Chinese medicine, polysaccharides, chemical modification, bioactivity

摘要：

中药在我国用于治疗疾病已有数千年的历史。中药成分复杂，来源多种多样，包括植物、动物、真菌和矿物质。多糖是中药中一种重要的活性成分。中药多糖在免疫调节、抗病毒、抗炎、抗氧化以及抗肿瘤等方面表现出广泛的生物活性，持续受到关注，当前研究主要聚焦于中药多糖的提取、纯化及其生物活性方面。随着多糖化学技术的发展，通过硫酸化、磷酸化、乙酰化等化学修饰策略定向调控多糖生物活性的研究，正成为该领域的前沿方向。综述了中药多糖化学修饰及生物活性等内容的最新研究报道，为多糖结构修饰的研究和应用提供了新的思路。

关键词: 中药, 多糖, 化学修饰, 生物活性

CLC Number:

Q599

Shengbo XIA, Congyang HUANG. Research Progress on the Chemical Modification and Biological Activities of Polysaccharides from Traditional Chinese Medicine[J]. Current Biotechnology, 2025, 15(5): 854-864.

夏晟博, 黄丛阳. 中药多糖化学修饰与生物活性研究进展[J]. 生物技术进展, 2025, 15(5): 854-864.

Figures/Tables 5

References 54

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	修饰方法	试剂	优点	缺点	参考文献
硫酸化	三氧化硫-吡啶法	三氧化硫、吡啶、甲酰胺	操作简单，产品取代度高	三氧化硫比较昂贵，只适合小规模生产	[14]
	浓硫酸法	浓硫酸、正丁醇、硫酸铵	反应稳定，毒性小，成本低	浓硫酸酸性过强，易引起多糖碳化和糖链降解	[15]
	氯磺酸盐-吡啶法	氯磺酸、吡啶、甲酰胺	操作简单，产品收率高，取代度高	氯磺酸不稳定，有急性毒性	[16]
	氨基磺酸法	氨基磺酸、N，N-二甲基甲酰胺	反应轻微，毒性低	产物取代度更低，副作用更多	[17]
乙酰化	乙酸酐（乙酸）法	醋酸酐（或醋酸）、吡啶（或4-DMAP）、甲酰胺	操作步骤简单，响应时间短	吡啶具有高度刺激性和神经毒性；4-DMAP价格昂贵，难以大规模开发	[18]
磷酸化	酸酐法	磷酸（磷酸酐）、DMSO	操作简单，设备要求低	放热反应易使多糖降解	[20]
	三氯氧磷法	三氯氧磷	反应时间快，操作简单，取代度高	更多有毒副产物，反应产生的刺激性气体	[21]
	磷酸盐法	三聚磷酸钠、三偏磷酸钠	操作简单，不易发生多糖降解	反应活性低，取代度和收率低	[22]
	五氧化二磷法	甲磺酸、P₂O₅	反应时间短	五氧化二磷酸性较强，易降解多糖	[24]
羧甲基化修饰	氯乙酸法	氯乙酸、20%NaOH、异丙醇	试剂易得、成本低、反应生成的物质毒性低或无毒	降低多糖的机械强度和结构稳定性	[25]
硒化修饰	硒酸盐法	硝酸（或冰醋酸）、亚硒酸钠	成本低	反应时间长，步骤复杂	[29]
硒化修饰	氯氧化硒法	氯氧化硒	操作步骤简单	SeOCl₂易分解，反应会产生刺激性有毒气体	[32]

	修饰方法	试剂	优点	缺点	参考文献
硫酸化	三氧化硫-吡啶法	三氧化硫、吡啶、甲酰胺	操作简单，产品取代度高	三氧化硫比较昂贵，只适合小规模生产	[14]
	浓硫酸法	浓硫酸、正丁醇、硫酸铵	反应稳定，毒性小，成本低	浓硫酸酸性过强，易引起多糖碳化和糖链降解	[15]
	氯磺酸盐-吡啶法	氯磺酸、吡啶、甲酰胺	操作简单，产品收率高，取代度高	氯磺酸不稳定，有急性毒性	[16]
	氨基磺酸法	氨基磺酸、N，N-二甲基甲酰胺	反应轻微，毒性低	产物取代度更低，副作用更多	[17]
乙酰化	乙酸酐（乙酸）法	醋酸酐（或醋酸）、吡啶（或4-DMAP）、甲酰胺	操作步骤简单，响应时间短	吡啶具有高度刺激性和神经毒性；4-DMAP价格昂贵，难以大规模开发	[18]
磷酸化	酸酐法	磷酸（磷酸酐）、DMSO	操作简单，设备要求低	放热反应易使多糖降解	[20]
	三氯氧磷法	三氯氧磷	反应时间快，操作简单，取代度高	更多有毒副产物，反应产生的刺激性气体	[21]
	磷酸盐法	三聚磷酸钠、三偏磷酸钠	操作简单，不易发生多糖降解	反应活性低，取代度和收率低	[22]
	五氧化二磷法	甲磺酸、P₂O₅	反应时间短	五氧化二磷酸性较强，易降解多糖	[24]
羧甲基化修饰	氯乙酸法	氯乙酸、20%NaOH、异丙醇	试剂易得、成本低、反应生成的物质毒性低或无毒	降低多糖的机械强度和结构稳定性	[25]
硒化修饰	硒酸盐法	硝酸（或冰醋酸）、亚硒酸钠	成本低	反应时间长，步骤复杂	[29]
硒化修饰	氯氧化硒法	氯氧化硒	操作步骤简单	SeOCl₂易分解，反应会产生刺激性有毒气体	[32]

Research Progress on the Chemical Modification and Biological Activities of Polysaccharides from Traditional Chinese Medicine

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