1 Introduction Plant-derived polysaccharides constitute a major class of biological response modifiers, renowned for their ability to interact with the immune system to either enhance host defenses or restore immunological homeostasis (1, 2). Among these, Astragalus polysaccharide (APS), a key bioactive component from Astragalus membranaceus, has garnered significant attention due to its demonstrated immunomodulatory, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, and metabolic-regulatory properties (3).