Pectin, a plant-derived polysaccharide, possesses immense technological and biological application value. Several variables influence pectin’s physicochemical aspects, resulting in different fermentations, interactions with receptors, and other functional properties. Some of those variables are molecular weight, degree of methylation and blockiness, and monosaccharide composition. Cancer cell cytotoxicity, important fermentation-related byproducts, immunomodulation, and technological application were found in cell culture, animal models, and preclinical and clinical assessments. One of the greater extents of recent pectin technological usage involves nanoencapsulation methods for many different compounds, ranging from chemotherapy and immunotherapy to natural extracts from fruits and other sources. Structural modification (modified pectin) is also utilized to enhance the use of dietary fiber. Although pectin is already recognized as a component of significant importance, there is still a need for a comprehensive review that delves into its intricate relationships with biological effects, which depend on the source and structure of pectin. This review covers all levels of clinical research, including cell culture, animal studies, and clinical trials, to understand how the plant source and pectin structures influence the biological effects in humans and some technological applications of pectin regarding human health.

The present work consisted of a comparative analysis, followed by an extensive narrative literature review, of the structural profiles of bioactive polysaccharides from edible fruits representing different terrestrial biomes, relating them—with a focus on their monosaccharide fractions—to the abiotic variables of each biome, such as temperature, rainfall, annual water regimes, and physicochemical characteristics of the soil to provide an accurate landscape regarding the patterns and divergences surrounding the development of edible fruits around the world. The present review also provided a focus on the various analytical methods used to obtain data related to the glycosidic profile of the analyzed edible fruits, allowing for a comparison of issues relating to the biomes and the quantitative composition of the existing polysaccharides, together with the associated macromolecular parameters, such as degree of esterification, branching, and average molecular weight. From the analysis performed, recurrences of characteristics were identified in different biomes, such as high concentrations of galacturonic acid and arabinose in fruits from cold regions; abundance of xyloarabinan and galactan in fruits from arid areas; and greater branching, acetylation, and a lower degree of esterification in fruits subject to water variations that favor water retention and cell wall stability. These profiles suggest a strong association between the structure of polysaccharides and ecological adaptations that are crucial for their full development. The insights presented here are of the utmost importance in both basic and applied food science, indicating possible structural targets for selecting and engineering resistance in edible fruits under various abiotic stress conditions and guiding and providing direction for experimental studies that extend beyond classical methodologies.