A review on polysaccharides from jujube and their pharmacological activities

Ziziphus Jujuba Mill. and its varieties belong to Zizyphus genus (Rhamniaceae family), all of them are perennial woody plant mainly originated and produced in China, and have been cultivated for thousands of years. The total output of their fruits (jujube) in China accounts for about 98% of the world. Jujube is rich in polysaccharides with a high content more than 50%. Meanwhile, jujube polysaccharides have been reported to own multiple activities such as anti-oxidation, anti-fatigue, immune regulation, anti-allergy, sedation, liver protection, anti-cancer, anti-inflammation, anti-aging, and so on. In this paper, 46 polysaccharides isolated and characterized from Z. Jujuba and its varieties were summarized by referring to the literature reported from 1985 until now, and their various pharmaceutical activities were summarized, in order to lay a foundation for further study for the plant.