Polysaccharides as Protective Agents against Heavy Metal Toxicity

作者：Lukman Iddrisu, Felix Danso, Kit‐Leong Cheong, Zhijia Fang, Saiyi Zhong · 发表于：Foods · 年份：2024 · DOI：10.3390/foods13060853 · 被引用次数：49 · 研究领域：Therapeutic Uses of Natural Elements、Aluminum toxicity and tolerance in plants and animals、Biochemical Acid Research Studies

Polysaccharides are functional foods or drugs that can be used to alleviate heavy metal poisoning by cadmium, lead, mercury, and arsenic. Industries generate substantial quantities of toxic heavy metal wastes, such as wastewater discharges, paints, electronic waste, batteries, pigments, and plastics, into the environment that pose a risk to human health. Therefore, it is imperative to eliminate accumulated heavy metal ions from the body and the environment. Heavy metal toxicity can lead to decreased energy levels and impair the functioning of vital organs, such as the brain, lungs, kidneys, liver, and blood. Prolonged exposure can result in progressive physical, muscular, and neurological degeneration that resembles conditions such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and muscular dystrophy. Polysaccharides operate through mechanisms such as chelation, antioxidant defense, immunomodulation, and tissue repair. Polysaccharides involved in heavy metal removal include methionine and cysteine, together with N-acetylcysteine, an acetylated form of cysteine, S-adenosylmethionine, a metabolite of methionine, α-lipoic acid, and the tripeptide glutathione (GSH). These compounds effectively bind with harmful heavy metals to create a stable complex and defend biological targets from metal ions, thus decreasing their harmful effects and causing them to be excreted from the body. This review also highlights the importance of polysaccharides' ability to mitigate ...