Effects of superfine grinding on physicochemical and antioxidant properties of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides

- Superfine grinding decreased LBP's molecular weight and spherical particle heights.
- The antioxidant activities of LBP enhanced after superfine grinding treated.
- Molecular weight and solution behavior affected polymer's antioxidant activities.
- Superfine grinding had a great potential in functional food or medical industry.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of superfine grinding on the physicochemical and antioxidant properties of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides (LBP). Superfine grinding treatment could decrease the average molecular weight (changed from 834.0, 85.2 and 70.6 to 538.5, 71.2 and 2.1, respectively), the spherical particle's heights (changed from 0.86, 0.59 and 0.51 nm to 0.74, 0.55 and 0.43 nm, respectively) and the spherical particle's diameter (changed from 98.33, 70.67 and 86.33 nm to 88.67, 47.67 and 51.33 nm, respectively) of LBP. After being superfine grinding treated, the ΔH values of LBP changed from −154.6, −136.5 and −105.0 J/g to −220.8, −97.2 and −46.5 J/g, respectively. The IC50 of LBP from treated materials on DPPH radical (4.96, 1.98 and 2.97 mg/mL) and ABTS radical (2.25, 0.20 and 0.25 mg/mL) were extremely lower than those of LBP from untreated materials. The results suggested that superfine grinding treatment enhanced LBP's antioxidant activities. Molecular weight and solution behavior were key factors in polymer's antioxidant activities.