Polysaccharides as antioxidants and prooxidants in managing the double-edged sword of reactive oxygen species

Polysaccharides, a class of naturally occurring carbohydrates, were widely presented in animals, plants, and microorganisms. Recently, health benefits of polysaccharides have attracted much attention due to their unique characteristics in reactive oxygen species (ROS) management. ROS, by-products of aerobic metabolism linked to food consumption, exhibited a dual role in protecting cells and fostering pathogenesis collectively termed double-edged sword. Some interesting studies reported that polysaccharides could behave as prooxidants under certain conditions, besides antioxidant capacities. Potentiation of the bright side of ROS could contribute to the host defense that was vitally important for the polysaccharides acting as biological response modifiers. Corre-spondingly, disease prevention of polysaccharides linked to the management of ROS production was systemat-ically described and discussed in this review. Furthermore, major challenges and future prospects were presented, aiming to provide new insight into applying polysaccharides as functional food ingredients and medicine.

Automated summary

Polysaccharides, a class of naturally occurring carbohydrates, have gained attention for their unique characteristics in managing reactive oxygen species (ROS). While ROS can both protect cells and foster pathogenesis, studies have shown that polysaccharides can behave as prooxidants in certain conditions. This review systematically describes and discusses the disease prevention linked to the management of ROS production by polysaccharides, and presents major challenges and future prospects for their application in functional food and medicine.