Tea polysaccharides from Camellia sinensis: chemical analysis, structural characterization, and inhibition of HeLa cells activity

Tea polysaccharides (TPS) were analyzed and characterized by HPAEC, GPC, FT-IR, AFM, HSQC, and HMBC NMR as well as methylation. The TPS mainly consisted of neutral (F0, F0.2, and F0.3) and acidic polysaccharides (F0.1) rich in glucuronic acid. Moreover, anti-proliferative activity of the TPS on HeLa cells was investigated. It was found that F0 exhibited the highest inhibition rate (36.7%) with 200 µg/ml treatment for 48 h. Structural characterization revealed that F0 had a backbone chain of (1→4)-β-d-Glcp, (1→6)-α-d-Galp, (1→2)-α-l-Rhap and (1→2,4)-α-l-Rhap residues with (1→6)-α-d-Galp and acetyl group side chains.