Structural identification and antioxidant and hypolipidemic activities of <i>Wurfbainia villosa</i> var. <i>villosa</i> polysaccharides

This study investigated the chemical composition, structure, and bioactivities of water-extracted polysaccharides from <i>Wurfbainia villosa</i> var. <i>villosa</i> (WVVP). WVVP exhibited a 4.49% extraction yield, comprising 38.06% total sugar, 12.81% uronic acid, and 6.70% protein. Structural analysis revealed it is an acidic heteropolysaccharide (10.3 × 10⁴ Da) with a pectin-like homogalacturonan backbone 4)-α-D-GalpA-(1→ and 1,5-Araf branches. WVVP demonstrated strong antioxidant activity, with IC₅₀ values of 0.067, 0.234, and 3.13 mg/mL against DPPH, ABTS, and hydroxyl radicals, respectively. In oleic acid-induced lipid-laden cells, purified (0.098 μg/mL) and crude (0.010 mg/mL) WVVP reduced total cholesterol (TC) by 4.83% and triglycerides (TG) by 8.72%, highlighting its hypolipidemic potential. These results underscore WVVP's dual role in mitigating oxidative stress and regulating lipid metabolism, supporting its use as a functional food for metabolic health.