16 Medicinal-Edible Plant Polysaccharides Show Anti-Diabetic Potential — This Is the Next Big Opportunity in Functional Foods

As chronic disease management shifts from treatment to proactive prevention, the value of medicinal and edible homologous (MEH) ingredients is gaining widespread attention across the global functional food sector.A recent review published in the International Journal of Biological Macromolecules systematically examined 16 types of plant polysaccharides derived from MEH plants, highlighting their promising potential in diabetes prevention and intervention.

Mechanism-Backed Efficacy
MEH polysaccharides (MEHPPs) extracted from TCM herbs like Polygonatum (Huangjing), Panax ginseng, Dioscorea, Lycium barbarum and more, have shown to regulate key pathways such as PI3K/Akt, AMPK, and Nrf2—supporting glucose metabolism, insulin sensitivity, oxidative stress reduction, and gut microbiota balance.
Natural, Safe, and Functional
Unlike synthetic drugs, these bioactive compounds are naturally derived, well-tolerated, and ideal for formulating health-supporting beverages, RTD shots, soups, and snackable formats.
Aligned with Consumer Trends
"Food as medicine"and"plant-based functionals"are no longer niche—they are at the core of wellness trends across Asia-Pacific, North America, and Europe.

As a dedicated manufacturer in the medicinal-food homologous space, we focus on transforming scientific findings into scalable, market-ready product solutions. We've already developed a series of market-ready products based on MEHP polysaccharide logic, including:

• Polygonatum Bird's Nest Drink – A gentle tonic combining Polygonatum polysaccharides and collagen-rich bird’s nest for long-term energy and glycemic balance.
• Ginseng Bird's Nest Drink – Featuring Panax ginseng polysaccharides, designed for cognitive clarity, metabolism regulation, and daily wellness.

These innovations not only reflect our commitment to bridging tradition with technology but also provide our partners with ready-to-launch, science-backed solutions that meet the evolving demands of today's health-conscious consumers.

Welcome to contact us (www.zeagrove.com)to learn more about the raw material combination strategy and functional food development direction of "medicinal and edible polysaccharides", and work together to create new nourishing products suitable for the market.