Biologically active polysaccharides in medicinal plants

Biologically active polysaccharides from medicinal plants have been studied for many years. In addition to immuno-modulating effects, human clinical studies have shown that some polysaccharides have certain benefits for human health. Most studies have focused on the side chains of pectic rhamnogalacturonan I (RG-I), particularly the Type II arabinogalactans, which have been isolated and shown to have anti-complementary and other immuno-activities. These studies have provided valuable information about how carbohydrate moieties induce certain biological events.