Research progress on ultrasonic degradation of polysaccharides:Effects,influencing factors,and mechanisms

GUO Xiangyang; WANG Lulu; MA Jingke; JIN Keting

doi:10.12187/2025.04.005

Abstract：Polysaccharide bioactivity is closely associated with their molecular weight.Ultrasonic technology featuring simplicity,rapidity,environmental friendliness,and high efficiency has attracted increasing attention for degrading polysaccharides and enhancing their bioactivities.This review provided current advances in understanding ultrasonic degradation effects,mechanisms,and influencing factors.It demonstrated that ultrasonic degradation effectively modifies physicochemical properties by reducing molecular weight,solution viscosity,and particle size while improving solubility.Simultaneously,it induces structural changes in monosaccharide composition,molecular conformation,and crystallization patterns,thereby enhancing antioxidant,immunomodulatory,and hypoglycemic activities.The degradation mechanisms involve mechanical bond cleavage,cavitation effects,and free radical redox reactions,which are modulated by multiple factors including initial molecular weight,temperature,ultrasonic power,and frequency.Practical applications require parameter optimization based on polysaccharide type and desired outcomes.Current research predominantly focuses on limited polysaccharide types.Future directions include elucidating structure-activity relationships,exploring homologous polysaccharide degradation limits,developing targeted glycosidic bond cleavage strategies,analyzing structure-bioactivity correlations,expanding degradation conditions,constructing precise kinetic models,and advancing industrial applications to achieve precise degradation control.