Abstract BACKGROUND Polysaccharides from medicinal and edible plants have attracted increasing attention as a result of their structural diversity and potential bioactivities. In this study, a novel heteropolysaccharide (RTP) was isolated and purified from Rhodomyrtus tomentosa fruits. The physicochemical properties, structural characteristics and antioxidant activities of RTP were investigated. RESULTS The results demonstrated that the RTP was mainly formed by →6)‐α‐ d ‐Glcp‐(1→, →4)‐α‐ d ‐Glcp‐(1→, →4,6)‐α‐ d ‐Glcp‐(1→ and →3,6)‐β‐ d ‐Galp‐(1 → interconnected with each other to form a backbone. Branched chains were mainly formed by α‐ l ‐Araf‐(1 → attached to the O‐6 position of the glycosyl residue →3,6)‐β‐ d ‐Galp‐(1→ and α‐ d ‐Glcp‐(1 → attached to the O‐6 position of the glycosyl residue →4,6)‐α‐ d ‐Glcp‐(1→. RTP exhibited excellent thermal stability. The maximum scavenging rates of 2,2′‐azino‐bis(3‐ethylbenzothiazoline‐6‐sulfonic acid) (i.e. ABTS) and hydroxyl radicals by RTP were 97.78 ± 1.08% and 98.17 ± 0.57%, respectively. CONCLUSION Polysaccharide from R. tomentosa may serve as a promising natural antioxidant for developing functional foods and therapeutic agents. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.
Ibadullah et al. (Thu,) studied this question.