FOOD SCIENCE ›› 2026, Vol. 47 ›› Issue (18): 52-61.doi: 10.7506/spkx1002-6630-20260318-139

• Basic Research • Previous Articles    

Preparation, Structural Characterization, and Physicochemical Properties of Polysaccharides from Loach Mucus

ZHANG Lu, LI Mingzhu, WAN Yiqi, CHEN Yanxiao, WANG Ting, LI Qian, ZHANG Min   

  1. (1. College of Food Science and Bioengineering, Tianjin Agricultural University, Tianjin 300392, China; 2. Nutritious and Healthy Food Sino-Thailand Joint Research Center, Tianjin Agricultural University, Tianjin 300392, China; 3. Key Laboratory of Smart Breeding (Co-construction by Ministry and Province), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Tianjin Agricultural University, Tianjin 300392, China)
  • Published:2026-09-29

Abstract: The aim of this study was to isolate and purify homogeneous polysaccharides from the mucus secreted by loach and systematically analyze their structural features​ and physicochemical properties. Three homogeneous polysaccharide fractions (LMSI, LMSII and LMSIII) were obtained by an optimized deproteinization process and column chromatography. Chemical analysis, chromatography, spectroscopy, electron microscopy, thermal analysis, and micro-rheology were used for their systematic characterization. The results showed that LMSI was a proteoglycan, whereas LMSII and LMSIII were a neutral and an acidic polysaccharide, respectively. The molecular mass of the three fractions differed by orders of magnitude (106–103 Da). LMSI and LMSIII were composed of ribose, galacturonic acid, and glucose, while LMSII contained only ribose and glucose. All of them had a semi-crystalline structure containing β-glycosidic bonds, but their microscopic morphology and aggregation behavior were significantly different. The decreasing order of their thermal stability was LMSII > LMSI > LMSIII, and both LMSII and LMSIII showed stable solid-like viscoelastic behavior within the concentration range of 1.0-7.0 mg/mL. This study clarified the structural features and physicochemical properties of loach mucus polysaccharides, providing a theoretical basis for the resource utilization of loach mucus by-products.

Key words: loach mucus polysaccharides; isolation and purification; structural characterization; physicochemical properties

CLC Number: