Sulphated modification of a polysaccharide obtained from fresh persimmon (Diospyros kaki L.) fruit and antioxidant activities of the sulphated derivatives

Free radicals and other reactive oxygen species (ROS) are believed to play significant roles in ageing as well as in a number of degenerative or pathological diseases. This paper reports the preparation, characterisation and potential antioxidant activity of a type of chemically sulphated polysaccharide isolated from fresh persimmon (Diospyros kaki L.) fruit. Three sulphated derivatives with variable degrees of substitution (0.8, 1.7 and 2.5) were obtained by the chlorosulphonic acid–pyridine method. The sulphated derivatives all showed dose-dependent reducing power and free radical scavenging effect of 1,1-dipheny-l-2-picrylhydrazyl, superoxide anion and hydroxyl. Our results showed that the sulphated modification of polysaccharides significantly increased their antioxidant activities and may be an effective way to prepare these valuable derivatives.