title: Purification, structure and immunobiological activity of a water-soluble polysaccharide from the fruiting body of Pleurotus ostreatus.
abstract: The water-soluble polysaccharide (POP), with a molecular mass of 2.4x10(4)Da, was obtained from the fruiting body of Pleurotus ostreatus. Structure features of the purified polysaccharide were investigated by a combination of chemical and instrumental analysis, such as methylation analysis, Smith degradation, GC-MS, (13)C and (1)H NMR and FTIR. The results indicated that the backbone of POP was composed of (1-->6)-linked-alpha-D-galactopyranosyl and (1-->2,6)-linked-alpha-D-galactopyranosyl residues, which were terminated with a single terminal (1-->)-beta-D-glucose residue at the O-2 position of galactosyl along the main chain in the ratio of 1:1:1. Preliminary tests in vitro showed POP is capable of enhancing concanavalin A (ConA)- or lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced lymphocyte proliferation, which suggested that POP could be a potential immunostimulating agent for use in functional foods or medicine against both pathogens and cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Qiqihar Medical University, Qiqihar 161042, China. yongxusun1978@yahoo.com.cn
authors.forename: Yongxu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Jicheng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000502:physiology*; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D020076:Pleurotus / Q000378:metabolism*; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D012995:Solubility; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D011134:Polysaccharides; D014867:Water