Abstract: In recent years, polysaccharides have become a research hotspot due to their demonstrated anti-tumor activity. Autophagy is a highly conserved self-degradation process where damaged organelles and macromolecules are degraded by lysosomes for reuse. Autophagy is closely related to the occurrence of various diseases such as tumors and neurodegenerative diseases. Abnormal autophagy occurs in tumor cells, and regulating it can be an important way to treat this class of diseases. Whether polysaccharides can affect tumor autophagy to achieve anti-tumor effect has become the focus of research on the anti-tumor activity of polysaccharides. This article summarizes the recent ten-year research on the regulation of polysaccharides on autophagy in tumor cells in China and abroad, with a focus on the effects of polysaccharides on the autophagy-related signaling pathways and the relationship between polysaccharides and autophagy in tumor cells.

Key words: polysaccharide; autophagy; anti-tumor; signaling pathways