Characterisation of antioxidant and antiproliferative acidic polysaccharides from Chinese wolfberry fruits

► Wolfberry fruit polysaccharides (WFPs) exhibited dose-dependent antioxidant and antiproliferative effects. ► MCF-7 cells were more responsive to WFP treatment than A549 and LoVo cells. ► WFPs induced apoptosis and arrest at the G0/G1 phase in MCF-7 cells with DNA damage. ► WFPs are involved in an ROS-dependent apoptosis pathway in MCF-7 cells.