Purification, Structural Characterization, and Biological Activity ofPolysaccharides from Lentinus velutinus

ABSTRACT

A polysaccharide (LVP) was purified from fruiting body of Lentinus velutinus by ethanol precipitationfractionation and DEAE and Sephadex G-100 column chromatography. The yieldof purified polysaccharide was 0.025%. Molecular characteristics of LVP were determinedby gel permeation chromatography, FT-IR spectroscopy, and thin-layer chromatography.Our results revealed that LVP is a polysaccharide composed of only glucose units, and hasa molecular weight of 336 kDa. Biological activity assays indicated that LVP exhibits bothcytotoxic and antioxidant activity. LVP showed specific cytotoxicity against cancer cells(HeLa and HepG2 cells), and alterations in cancer cell morphology were found afterLVP treatment.