A review on structure, bioactivity, mechanism, structure-activity relationship and application of anti-breast cancer polysaccharides

Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most common female malignant tumors. BC treatment depends on the use of chemotherapeutic drugs, causing various adverse effects. Increasing evidence has shown that natural polysaccharides (NPs) are potential adjuvants or substitutes for anti-BC drugs. However, the information regarding anti-BC NPs remains scattered. Thus, the recent progress in the structure, bioactivity, mechanism and application of anti-BC NPs is comprehensively summarized in this review. Moreover, the structure-activity relationship is discussed. Additionally, the prospects for future work are proposed. Recent studies have shown that anti-BC NPs have diverse structural features, which are affected by the extraction and purification methods. NPs show anti-BC activities in cell and animal experiments as well as in clinical researches, and enhance anti-BC effects of chemotherapeutic drugs in cell and animal experiments. The anti-BC mechanisms of NPs include anti-proliferation, inducing apoptosis, anti-metastasis and anti-invasion, immunoenhancement, gut microbiota regulation and others. The anti-BC activities of NPs are influenced by molecular weight, monosaccharide composition, functional groups, glycosidic bond types, backbone and side chains. NPs-based nanoparticles, nanocarriers, drug delivery systems, nanocomposites and other materials can also be used in anti-BC. This review provides theoretical bases for future research and functional application of NPs in anti-BC.