Plant-Derived Mucilage: A Natural Antioxidant with Multi-Functional Applications in Food, Cosmetics, and Health

Mucilage, naturally occurring polysaccharides in various plant parts, possesses unique structural and multi-functional properties. These biopolymers consist primarily of com-plex polysaccharides associated with flavonoids, phenolics, and oxidized sugars. A systematic review of databases like PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science evaluated 22 re-search papers on mucilage with antioxidant potential. The key finding highlights that Cydonia ob-longa, Abelmoschus esculentus, Zizyphus mauritiana, Coccinia indica, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, Malva parviflora, Corchorus olitorius, and Dioscorea opposita contain antioxidants. Various analytical techniques include DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, hydroxyl radical, and superoxide radical assays for the evaluation of the antioxidant properties of mucilage. The findings aim to foster innovation in health benefits and applications in food and cosmetic products, leveraging the multi-functional potential of these biopolymers to enhance efficacy and safety.