Structural characterization of immunostimulating polysaccharide from cultured mycelia of Cordyceps militaris

• Published in: Carbohydrate polymers Vol. 80; no. 4; pp. 1011 - 1017
• Main Authors: Lee, Jong Seok, Kwon, Jeong Seok, Yun, Jong Seok, Pahk, Jung Woon, Shin, Won Cheol, Lee, Shin Young, Hong, Eock Kee
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 16-05-2010; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Biological and medical sciences; Cordyceps militaris; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Immunomodulators; Immunostimulating polysaccharide; Macrophage activation; Medical sciences; Microbiology; Morphology, structure, chemical composition; Mycology; Natural polymers; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Physicochemistry of polymers; Random coil conformation; Starch and polysaccharides; Macrophage activation; Random coil conformation; Immunostimulating polysaccharide; Cordyceps militaris; Fractionation; Molecular structure; Interleukin 1β; Activation; Chemical isolation; Experimental study; Gene expression; In vitro; Biological activity; Fungi; Water soluble compound; Immunostimulant agent; Plant origin; Microorganism culture; Oside polymer; Mycelium; Tumor necrosis factor α; Macrophage
• ISSN: 0144-8617; 1879-1344
• DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2010.01.017

The water soluble crude polysaccharide obtained from cultured mycelia of
Cordyceps militaris (CPM) by hot water extraction followed by ethanol precipitation was fractionated by DEAE cellulose and Sepharose CL-6B column chromatography. This fractionation process resulted in four polysaccharide fractions that were termed CPMN Fr I, CPMN Fr II, CPMN Fr III, and CPMN Fr IV. Of these fractions, CPMN Fr III was able to upregulate the functional events mediated by activated macrophages, such as production of nitric oxide (NO) and expression of cytokines (IL-1β and TNF-α). Its structural characteristics were investigated by a combination of chemical and instrumental analyses, including methylation, reductive cleavage, acetylation, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Results indicate that CPMN Fr III was a high molecular mass polysaccharide with a random coil conformation of the β-1,4-branched-β-1,6-galactoglucomannan.