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In this study, the impact of ultrasound irradiation on the structural characteristics and antioxidant properties of yellow tea polysaccharides with different molecular weights (Mw) were investigated. Native yellow tea polysaccharide containing YTPS-3N, YTPS-5N and YTPS-7N were prepared through precipitation with ethanol at various concentrations of 30%, 50%, and 70%, respectively, and irradiated with high intensity ultrasound (20 kHz) for 55 min to yield yellow tea polysaccharide including YTPS-3U, YTPS-5U and YTPS-7U. The molecular weight (Mw) of YTPS-3N (from 37.7 to 15.1 kDa) and YTPS-5N (from 14.6 to 5.2 kDa) sharply decreased upon ultrasound irradiation, coincidentally particle size (Zavg) was also significantly reduced for YTPS-3N (40%), YTPS-5N (48%) and YTPS-7N (54%). The high-performance liquid chromatography and Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy analysis revealed a partial degradation of native yellow tea polysaccharide treated with ultrasound, though the monosaccharide composition was not altered. Furthermore, changes in morphology and the breakdown of native yellow tea polysaccharide upon irradiation was confirmed with the circular dichroism spectrum, atomic force and scanning electron microscopy. As a consequence, irradiation of yellow tea polysaccharide increased free radical scavenging activity with YTPS-7U exhibiting the highest levels of 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free radical, superoxide and hydroxyl radicals scavenging activity. These results suggest that the alteration of the spatial structure of yellow tea polysaccharide can enhance its antioxidant activity which is an important property for functional foods or medicines.
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