Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Jan 14, 2026 1 hour, 35 minutes ago
Medical News: Traditional fruit yields modern immune breakthrough
A new study highlighted in this
Medical News report reveals that humble Huizao jujube (Ziziphus jujuba) fruits, long used in traditional Chinese diets, may contain a potent natural immune booster.
Huizao jujube sugars restored immune strength and reduced damage in cells
Researchers from Xinjiang University College of Smart Agriculture and the Institute of Agro Products Storage and Processing at Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences isolated a purified compound named HP2-1 which is a type of polysaccharide sugar and demonstrated its powerful biological effects.
Power packed plant sugars
Scientists carefully extracted the polysaccharide HP2-1 from dried Huizao jujubes using multi step filtration and chromatography techniques.
In laboratory tests, HP2-1 showed no toxicity to RAW264.7 immune cells.
Instead, the compound stimulated better cell growth, increased the ability of immune cells to engulf foreign particles, and sharply elevated the release of immune chemicals including TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-1 beta, nitric oxide, and reactive oxygen species.
These substances play essential roles in fighting invading microbes, coordinating immune responses, and signaling for further cellular defense.
Trials in mice reveal broader protection
The researchers next tested HP2-1 in mice whose immune systems had been deliberately weakened by the chemotherapy agent cyclophosphamide. Untreated mice showed shrinking immune organs, reduced appetite, and clear damage to spleen structure.
Animals that received daily HP2-1, however, demonstrated significant recovery. Their spleens showed more normal tissue patterns, better cell organization, and stronger immune activity compared with the untreated group.
Even more encouraging, levels of immunoglobulin A and immunoglobulin M, two vital antibodies that patrol the bloodstream and block infections, rose markedly after HP2-1 supplementation.
Blocking cell damage from within
The compound did more than activate immunity. HP2-1 also strengthened antioxidant defenses, which protect the body from damage caused by oxidative stress.
Treated mice showed increased levels of the protective enzymes: superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase, while amounts of malondialdehyde, a harmful marker of cell injury, decreased noticeably. These shifts suggest that HP2-1 supports immune restoration by preventing further damage rather than simply forcing the system to work harder.
How the compound flips the immune switch
To understand how HP2-1 works, the team examined its molecular pathways.
The evidence shows that the compound activates the TLR4-MAPK-NF-kappa B pathway, a master control route that triggers broad immune responses.
Once switched on,
TLR4 activates key signal proteins such as ERK, JNK, and p38, which in turn allow NF kappa B to stimulate the production of cytokines and defensive molecules.
Because these changes were observed both in cell cultures and in mouse spleen tissue, the pathway activation appears reliable and consistent.
Conclusion
The research clearly demonstrates that Huizao jujube polysaccharides boost immunity at multiple levels.
They stimulate defensive cells, encourage antibody production, assist damaged organs to recover, and reduce oxidative harm.
Importantly, these benefits occur through well understood molecular pathways, giving scientists confidence that the effects are genuine and repeatable.
With continued scientific validation, compounds like HP2-1 may one day serve as safe plant derived immune supports for people whose immune systems are weakened due to illness, ageing, or daily stress.
The study findings were published in the peer reviewed journal: Foods.
https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/15/2/292
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