The roots and rhizome of the medicinal plant Podophyllum hexandrum (Himalayan mayapple) are the primary source of podophyllotoxin, a critical reagent for the production of essential anti-cancer medications, etoposide and teniposide. The slow growth and overharvesting of P. hexandrum for podophyllotoxins have led to its global endangerment [1]. After processing for lignans, the remaining biomass still contains undefined and potentially valuable water-soluble compounds.

Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and radioprotective properties have been demonstrated in aqueous extracts of P. hexandrum [2–4]. Recently, antioxidant and immune-stimulatory properties were attributed to polysaccharides in the fruit of P. hexandrum [5], but the polysaccharides present in the rhizome and roots have not been studied. We aimed to valorise this waste product by isolating these polysaccharides, characterising their chemical structure, and evaluating their bioactive properties.

P. hexandrum polysaccharides were extracted under acidic, neutral, and basic pH and at room and elevated temperature conditions, then purified. The molecular weight distributions of isolated polysaccharides were estimated using HPLC-SEC-RI. The structural features were analysed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy, and ¹H-NMR. Cell assays were used to test for the bioactive properties of the polysaccharides and potential human health benefits were assessed.

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[2] Prakash H, Ali A, Bala M, Goel HC. Anti-inflammatory effects of Podophyllum hexandrum (RP-1) against lipopolysaccharides induced inflammation in mice. J Pharm Pharm Sci Publ Can Soc Pharm Sci Soc Can Sci Pharm 2005;8:107–14.

[3] Ganie SA, Amin S, Hamid R, Hamid A, Majeed R, Qurishi Y, et al. Podophyllum hexandrum aqueous extract as a potential free radical scavenger. Redox Rep Commun Free Radic Res 2013;17:54–62. https://doi.org/10.1179/1351000212Y.0000000004.

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[5] Liu Z, Li H, Liu Q, Feng Y, Wu D, Zhang X, et al. Ultrasonic Treatment Enhances the Antioxidant and Immune-Stimulatory Properties of the Polysaccharide from Sinopodophyllum hexandrum Fruit. Foods 2023;12. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12050910