Abstract:Polygonatum odoratum (Mill.) Druce belongs to the Polygonatum (Liliaceae) genus and is mainly distributed from Asia to Europe. As one of the main active ingredients in Polygonatum odoratum, polysaccharide has been confirmed to exhibit many pharmacological activities, such as antioxidant, antidiabetic, and enhancement of immune activity. Previous works indicated that the biological activities of Polygonatum odoratum polysaccharides is affected by their monosaccharide composition, the glycosidic bond type, and the space configuration. This review summarizes the technique of polysaccharide extraction, structure characteristics and pharmacological activities of Polygonatum odoratum achieved in the recent years, in order to provide basis for improving the extraction rate and further studying the relationship between structure and activity.
