Structural characteristics of a polysaccharide isolated from Potentilla anserina L. and its mitigating effect on Zearalenone-induced oxidative damage in Sertoli cells

The present study aims to characterize the structural features of a natural polysaccharide called PAP-1b extracted from the roots of Potentilla anserina L. and to evaluate its antioxidant activity. Structural characterization indicated that PAP-1b with a molecular weight of 1.22 × 10⁴ Da was primarily composed of glucose and galactose. Methylation and NMR analyses showed that PAP-1b mainly consisted of →4)-α-D-Glcp-(1→, →4,6)-β-D-Glcp-(1→, →3,4)-α-Glcp-(1→ and α-D-Glcp-(1→). Subsequently, we evaluated the antioxidant activity of PAP-1b using zearalenone (ZEA)-induced oxidative damage in porcine Sertoli cells (SCs) as a model. Cellular experiments revealed that PAP-1b significantly attenuated ZEA-induced oxidative damage in SCs via the mitochondrial pathway, as evidenced by the increase in cell viability, the enhancement of antioxidant enzyme activities, and the reduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, as well as stabilization of the mitochondrial membrane potential and the reduction of apoptosis rate. These results suggest that Potentilla anserina L. polysaccharides can serve as a promising natural antioxidant for applications in the field of functional foods.