Acta Alimentaria · Jun 15, 2026
A comparative study on anti-ageing efficacy of feruloyl oligosaccharides with different polymerisation degrees in Caenorhabditis elegans
By Yu S, Wang D, LYU Y et al.
Abstract This study explored the anti-ageing effects of feruloyl oligosaccharides (FOs) with varying degrees of polymerisation (DP) through in vivo and in vitro experiments. Low-DP FOs (LFOs, DP 2–5, predominantly 2) were prepared by acidolysis, whereas high-DP FOs (HFOs, mainly DP 6) were produced by fermentation. In vitro , LFOs showed greater ABTS radical scavenging activity and reducing power than HFOs. Treatment with 20 mg mL −1 LFOs increased the lifespan and body length of Caenorhabditis elegans by 22.4 and 16.01%, respectively, compared to 16.30 and 3.8% with HFOs. Both FOs enhanced oxidative and heat stress resistance. Compared with the HFOs, the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and catalase (CAT) antioxidant enzymes of LFOs increased by 9.50, 13.70, and 12.28%, respectively. However, the malondialdehyde (MDA) content decreased by 9.49%. These results suggest that LFOs appear more effective than HFOs at reducing oxidative damage and prolonging lifespan.