https://doi.org/10.17113/ftb.64.03.26.9794

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Antidiabetic Potential of Tea Polysaccharides from Indian Cultivars Using in vitro and in vivo Evaluation

Nishanth Pitcham^*, Nivedidha Arumugam and Hariram Natarajan^†

Department of Biotechnology, Kalasalingam Academy of Research and Education, Krishnankoil, 626126 Tamil Nadu, India

Copyright © 2026 This is a Diamond Open Access article published under CC-BY licence. Copyright remains with the authors, who grant third parties the unrestricted right to use, copy, distribute and reproduce the article as long as the original author(s) and source are acknowledged.

Food Technol. Biotechnol. 2026; 64(3).

Article history:

Received: 15 April 2026

Accepted: 1 July 2026

Keywords:

tea polysaccharides; Indian tea cultivars; antidiabetic activity; enzyme inhibition; functional food; glycemic control

The content of this publication has not been approved by the United Nations and does not reflect the views of the United Nations or its officials or Member States.

Summary:

Research background. Natural polysaccharides have gained increasing attention because of their potential role in the management of diabetes mellitus. Tea is a widely consumed beverage containing structurally diverse polysaccharides that contribute to its associated health benefits. However, polysaccharides from Indian tea cultivars remain insufficiently explored, particularly regarding their structural characteristics and anti-diabetic potential.

Experimental approach. Fresh leaves from six Indian tea cultivars (TV-17, TV-22, Teen Ali, TRF-1, UPASI-9, and UPASI-28) were screened for polysaccharide yield using hot-water extraction followed by ethanol precipitation. Based on their higher polysaccharide content, Teen Ali and UPASI-28 were selected for further structural characterization by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy. Their antidiabetic potential was evaluated through α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibition assays and further validated in an alloxan-induced diabetic mouse model.

Results and conclusions. The isolated polysaccharides exhibited characteristic structural features of carbohydrate-rich biomolecules and possessed distinct morphological properties. Both samples demonstrated significant inhibitory activity against major carbohydrate-hydrolysing enzymes, indicating their potential to regulate glucose metabolism. studies further confirmed their anti-diabetic efficacy through improved glycaemic control, recovery from diabetes-associated body mass loss, and recovery of tissue architecture in treated groups. The observed biological activity may be associated with structural attributes such as hydroxyl groups and uronic acid content, which could enhance interactions with target enzymes.

Novelty and scientific contribution. This study provides a comparative investigation of polysaccharides derived from Indian tea cultivars by integrating structural characterization with both in vitro and in vivo anti-diabetic evaluations. The findings contribute to the understanding of tea polysaccharides as potential natural therapeutic agents for diabetes management and highlight the biomedical relevance of underexplored Indian tea varieties.