A systematic review of structure-activity relationships in bacterial levan: physicochemical mediation and context-dependent functionality.
- 1Department of Food Technology, Institute of Biotechnology and Food Technology (IBF), Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City (IUH) Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam.
- 2Faculty of Food Technology, Binh Duong University (BDU) Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam.
- 3Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS), Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City (IUH) Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam [email protected] +84 938 759 525.
Abstract
Bacterial levan is a β-(2 → 6)-linked fructan with variable β-(2 → 1) branching, molar-mass distribution and higher-order organization. Although these descriptors are frequently associated with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and prebiotic outcomes, the evidential basis for direct structure-activity relationships remains uncertain. We systematically reviewed 26 primary studies identified through Scopus and Web of Science Core Collection using a PRISMA 2020-informed process. Eligibility was separated from post-inclusion appraisal, and studies were classified according to whether they provided direct within-study evidence, indirect triangulated evidence or contextual observations only. Evidence was synthesized separately for chemical antioxidant assays, cell-based inflammatory models, microbial fermentation/prebiotic systems, gastrointestinal-protection models and material-performance tests. Across regimes, molar mass alone did not consistently explain activity, and few studies jointly measured polymer structure, physicochemical state and functional outcome. Diffusion, aggregation, molecular accessibility and interfacial interactions are therefore not treated as established mediators; rather, they form a testable interpretive model consistent with the available indirect evidence. Low-resolution studies were retained to characterize the evidentiary landscape but were excluded from positive mechanistic inference. This review defines the minimum analytical and experimental conditions required to test levan structure-function hypotheses and provides a chemistry-centred framework for future, within-system validation.
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BibTeX
@article{suong2026systematic,
title = {{A systematic review of structure-activity relationships in bacterial levan: physicochemical mediation and context-dependent functionality.}},
author = {Tran Thi Thu Suong and Nguyen Phung Kieu and Hoang Ngoc Cuong and Tran Dinh Thang and Nguyen Ngoc Tuan},
journal = {RSC advances},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1039/d6ra04924a},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42835979},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - A systematic review of structure-activity relationships in bacterial levan: physicochemical mediation and context-dependent functionality.
AU - Tran Thi Thu Suong
AU - Nguyen Phung Kieu
AU - Hoang Ngoc Cuong
AU - Tran Dinh Thang
AU - Nguyen Ngoc Tuan
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/05
JO - RSC advances
DO - 10.1039/d6ra04924a
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42835979
AB - Bacterial levan is a β-(2 → 6)-linked fructan with variable β-(2 → 1) branching, molar-mass distribution and higher-order organization. Although these descriptors are frequently associated with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and prebiotic outcomes, the evidential basis for direct structure-activity relationships remains uncertain. We systematically reviewed 26 primary studies identified through Scopus and Web of Science Core Collection using a PRISMA 2020-informed process. Eligibility was separated from post-inclusion appraisal, and studies were classified according to whether they provided direct within-study evidence, indirect triangulated evidence or contextual observations only. Evidence was synthesized separately for chemical antioxidant assays, cell-based inflammatory models, microbial fermentation/prebiotic systems, gastrointestinal-protection models and material-performance tests. Across regimes, molar mass alone did not consistently explain activity, and few studies jointly measured polymer structure, physicochemical state and functional outcome. Diffusion, aggregation, molecular accessibility and interfacial interactions are therefore not treated as established mediators; rather, they form a testable interpretive model consistent with the available indirect evidence. Low-resolution studies were retained to characterize the evidentiary landscape but were excluded from positive mechanistic inference. This review defines the minimum analytical and experimental conditions required to test levan structure-function hypotheses and provides a chemistry-centred framework for future, within-system validation.
SN - 2046-2069
ER -