Structural characterization of a new high molecular weight polysaccharide from jujube fruit

From <i>Ziziphus Jujuba</i> cv. <i>Muzao</i> fruit, a new polysaccharide (PZMP3-1) with high molecular weight was isolated. Constructional characterization revealed that PZMP3-1 comprized 2.56 rhamnose, 7.70 arabinoses, 3.73 galactose, and 6.73 galactose, and it has a 241 kDa average molecular weight. The principal structural components of PZMP3-1 were 1,2,4 and 1,4-linked Gal<i>p</i>A, 1,4-linked Gal<i>p</i>, 1,3 and 1,5-linked Ara<i>f</i>, and 1-linked Rha<i>p</i> based on methylation and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) analyses. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) structural analysis of PZMP3-1 revealed a tangled and branching pattern. Overall, these structural results suggested that PZMP3-1 could have unique bioactivities and be widely used in nutritional supplements.