Structural Analysis and Novel Mechanism of Enteromorpha Prolifera Sulfated Polysaccharide in Preventing Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

A water-soluble polysaccharide (EP) was purified from edible algae Enteromorpha prolifera. Gel permeation chromatography (GPC), ion chromatography (IC), and fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) were performed to characterize its structure. EP was defined as a low molecular weight (6625 Da) composed of rhamnose, glucose, glucuronic acid, xylose, galactose, arabinose, and mannose. Moreover, it was a sulfated polysaccharide with a degree of substitution (DS) of 1.48. Then, the high-fat diet/streptozotocin (HFD/STZ) induced diabetic mouse model was established to support evidence for a novel hypoglycemic mechanism. Results showed that blood glucose (47.32