Fast determination of total polysaccharide content in ferns using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy combined with partial least squares method
Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn var. latiusulum (Desv) Underw, a plant belonging to the genus Pteridium in the family Pteridiaceae, is known for its tender leaves and stems. It is also known as Fist Vegetable, Ruyi Vegetable, Dragon Claw Vegetable, etc. Due to its growth in mountains, forests, and wilderness, it is green, natural, and pollution-free. In addition, it is delicious to eat and has a crisp and refreshing taste, which is deeply loved by people. Ferns are rich in various nutrients, as well as terpenes, flavonoids, polysaccharides, and other chemical components. Related studies have shown that polysaccharides have unique pharmacological effects, with various medicinal and health functions such as lowering blood sugar, antioxidation, and improving the body’s immunity, and have high medicinal value. The total polysaccharide content of ferns is one of the important indicators for evaluating the quality of ferns. The traditional methods for determining the total polysaccharide content of ferns include anthrone sulfuric acid method and phenol sulfuric acid method. However, this type of method requires a large amount of chemical reagents, takes a long time to detect, and has high technical requirements for inspectors. It can no longer meet the rapid detection needs of a large number of raw materials in the industrial production process of ferns. Therefore, it is urgent to develop a fast, green, and easy to operate method for determining the total polysaccharide content of ferns.
In recent years, the use of Fourier transform mid infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) technology combined with chemometric methods to construct a rapid prediction model for compound content in plants has been applied in non-destructive quantitative analysis of related components. However, there have been no reports on the quantitative analysis of total polysaccharides in ferns using this technology.
In view of this, this study used Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis technology combined with chemometric methods to investigate the effects of different spectral preprocessing methods and the selection of different characteristic bands on their quantitative analysis. A rapid prediction model for the total polysaccharide content of ferns was established, providing a method for the rapid detection of fern polysaccharide content.

 

This experiment collected Fourier transform infrared spectra of fern powder and established a partial least squares model to predict the total polysaccharide content of fern. When conducting a complete external sample inspection, the prediction error of total polysaccharide content in ferns is only -0.35% to 0.31%. This model has good prediction performance. Compared with traditional polysaccharide content determination methods, this method has simple sample pretreatment, fast and convenient operation, accurate and reliable results, and good practicality. It can be used for rapid determination of total polysaccharide content in ferns, which can meet the needs of fern industrialization and promote its application in practical production. At the same time, it can provide reference for polysaccharide content determination methods in other plants.