Physicochemical, Structural, and Functional Properties of Fructans from Single-Clove Garlic and Multiclove Garlic: A Comparison

• DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.3c07898
• Publication Date: 2024-03-11T19:57:50Z
• Authors: Zhichang Qiu; Lingyu Li; Hengjun Du; Huiyun Chen; Gang Chen; Zhenjia Zheng; Hang Xiao
• Keywords: Inflammation; Syzygium; Animals; Garlic; Antioxidants; Zebrafish; Fructans

This study aimed to compare the structural features and functional properties of polysaccharides from single-clove garlic (SGPs) and multiclove garlic (MGPs) and to establish their structure-function relationships. Both SGPs and MGPs were identified as fructans consisting mainly of →1)-β-d-Fruf (2→ and →6)-β-d-Fruf (2→ residues but differed in average molecular weights (6.76 and 5.40 kDa, respectively). They shared similar thermodynamic properties, X-ray diffraction patterns, and high gastrointestinal digestive stability. These two purified fructans could dose-dependently scavenge free radicals, reduce oxidized metals, and effectively alleviate metronidazole-induced oxidative stress and CuSO4-induced inflammation in zebrafish via inhibiting the overexpression of inflammation-related proteins and cytokines. SGPs showed lower free radical scavenging activity in vitro than MGPs but higher antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities in vivo. Taken together, the molecular weight was the main structural difference between the two garlic fructans of different varieties, which is a potential reason for their differences in biological activities.