Quantification of total polysaccharides and triterpenoids in Ganoderma lucidum and Ganoderma atrum by near infrared spectroscopy and chemometrics

Two chemometrics, the partial least-squares (PLS) and radial basis function (RBF) network were performed to develop a quantification method for total polysaccharides and triterpenoids in Ganoderma lucidum and Ganoderma atrum from different origins based on near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIR). The influences of spectral window and spectral pre-treatments were initially studied in the construction of PLS model. The best result was obtained when the standard normal transformation (SNV) +1st derivative spectrum over 4100–7750 cm⁻¹ was used for the modelling. Then based on each principle, both of the two models were optimised respectively. The final results with high determination coefficient (R²) (higher than 0.973, 0.989 for PLS and RBF, respectively) and low root mean square errors of prediction (RMSEP) (low to 0.1109 and 0.01298 for polysaccharides and triterpenoids, respectively) confirm the good predictability of the two models. The overall results show that NIR spectroscopy combined with chemometrics can be efficiently utilised for accurate analysis of routine chemical compositions in G. lucidum and G. atrum.     

Biochemical characterization of a proteoglycan complex from an edible mushroom Ganoderma lucidum fruiting bodies and its immunoregulatory activity

A fraction, LZ-D-7, was isolated from the fruiting body of the edible mushroom Ganoderma lucidum using a series of chromatographic steps. Biochemical experiments showed that the complex is a proteoglycan and has a carbohydrate percentage of 95.3%, along with a protein percentage of 3.3%. Methylation analysis showed the polysaccharide moiety of LZ-D-7 had a backbone of 1,4-disubsituted-glucopyranosyl and 1,2,6-trisubstituted-glucopyranosyl residues. The branches were mainly composed of 1-substituted-glucopyranosyl residue, which was attached to 1,2,6-trisubstituted-glucopyranosyl residue via 2 or 6 position. Investigation of modulation of LZ-D-7 on BALB/c mouse spleen lymphocytes cells resulted in a three to four-fold increase of MSLs percentage. Analysis of activation and proliferation of MSLs indicated that LZ-D-7 activating most of the activated cells were B cells. The B cells were enlarged, expressed CD⁷¹⁺ and CD²⁵⁺ on the cell surface.     

Structure characterization of a novel neutral polysaccharide isolated from Ganoderma lucidum fruiting bodies

Ganoderma lucidum (G. lucidum) is a mushroom which has been used for health promotion for a long time in China. In the present work a neutral hetero-polysaccharide, named FYGL-1, was isolated from FYGL which was reported previously capable of antihyperglycemia in vivo for further detailed chemical structure investigation. The results of monosaccharide composition and GPC analysis indicated that FYGL-1 consisted of galactose, rhamnose and glucose in mole ratio of 1.00:1.15:3.22 with a molecular weight of 78kDa. The detailed structure of FYGL-1 was characterized by periodate oxidation, Smith degradation, methylation analysis, along with FT-IR, GC, GC-MS, 1D (1)H and (13)C NMR and 2D NMR (HSQC, COSY, NOESY and TOCSY). Based on the analysis of the results, the structure of the repeating unit of FYGL-1 was established as:     

Antioxidant properties of polysaccharides from Ganoderma tsugae

Ganoderma tsugae Murrill (Ganodermataceae) were available in the form of mature and baby Ling chih, mycelia and fermentation filtrate. From these four forms, hot water extracted and hot alkali extracted polysaccharides were prepared and their antioxidant properties were studied. Polysaccharides showed good antioxidant activity as evidenced by their particularly low EC₅₀ values (<0.1 mg/ml). At 20 mg/ml, both extracted polysaccharides from mycelia showed reducing powers of 0.41–0.52 whereas reducing powers of other polysaccharides were in the range of 0.87 to 1.14. At 20 mg/ml, scavenging abilities on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radicals increased to 93.7–100%, except for that of the hot water extracted polysaccharide, from filtrate, being 74.9%. At 20 mg/ml, scavenging abilities of both extracted polysaccharides from mycelia on hydroxyl radicals were 13.9 and 24.4%, respectively whereas scavenging abilities of the other polysaccharides were in the range of 39.0–55.2%. At 10 mg/ml, the chelating abilities of polysaccharides from mature and baby Ling chih, mycelia and filtrate were 93.9–100%, 97.6–100%, 85.1–88.0% and 51.2%, respectively. Overall, both extracts of polysaccharides possessed good antioxidant properties except for scavenging ability on hydroxyl radicals and can be developed as a new dietary supplement and functional food.     

Structural characterisation and antioxidant properties of polysaccharides from the fruiting bodies of Russula virescens

Water-soluble crude polysaccharide named as RVP was obtained from the fresh fruiting bodies of Russula virescens by boiling-water extraction. DEAE-Sepharose CL-6B column chromatography was used for the fractionation of polysaccharide RVP. Two fractions were obtained, namely RVP-1 and RVP-2. RVP-1 and RVP-2 were composed mainly of glucose, with the estimated equivalent dextran molecular weights of 3.1 × 10⁵ and 4.2 × 10⁵ Da, respectively. Analysis by Periodate oxidation–Smith degradation indicated that RVP-1 was composed of 68.3% (1 →)- or ((1 → 6)-glycosidic linkages and 31.7% (1 → 3)-glycosidic linkages, and RVP-2 7.9% (1 →)- or (1 → 6)-glycosidic linkages, 9.6% (1 → 2)-glycosidic linkages, 35.7% (1 → 4)-glycosidic linkages, and 46.8% (1 → 3)-glycosidic linkages. RVP-1 exhibited equivalent inhibiting power for self-oxidation of 1,2,3-phentriol to vitamin C (Vc), a little higher scavenging activity of superoxide radical and hydroxyl radical than Vc. The reducing power of RVP-1 at 20.0 mg/ml was 0.77, and RVP-1 was a good chelating agent for ferrous ions. Overall, RVP-1 possessed good antioxidant properties and should be developed as a novel potential antioxidant.     

Chemical composition,antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties for ethanolic extracts from Pleurotus eryngii fruiting bodies harvested at different time

Pleurotus eryngii, a popular edible mushroom in Taiwan, is usually cultivated using sawdust medium packing bags through several procedures including culture medium confection, bagging and sterilization, spawn inoculation, fostering mycelia, full growth of mycelia, and inducing fruiting body formation. In this study, P. eryngii commercial products harvested at the 10th, 12th and 15th days after inducing the fruiting body formation were extracted with ethanol, individually. Through determination of chemical composition, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of these extracts, the optimal harvest time of P. eryngii fruiting bodies with higher functional attributes was revealed. The earlier harvested sample extracts had higher effects for scavenging 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radicals, reducing power, chelating power, and β-carotene bleaching inhibition, as well as down-regulating lipopolysaccharide-stimulated nitric oxide, prostaglandin E₂, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and cyclooxygenase-2 expression in RAW264.7 macrophages. These functional responses were closely related to levels of phytochemical components including phenolic acids, flavonoids, tocopherols and carotenoids.     

Purification,preliminary structural characterization and in vitro antioxidant activity of polysaccharides from Acanthus ilicifolius

Crude Acanthus ilicifolius (A. ilicifolius) polysaccharides (CAIP) were obtained by hot water extraction and deproteinated. Two major polysaccharide fractions, the neutral A. ilicifolius polysaccharide (NAIP) and the acid A. ilicifolius polysaccharide B (AAIP-B), were isolated from CAIP by chromatography using DEAE-Sepharose Fast Flow and Sepharose CL-6B. The molecular weights (M_w) of NAIP and AAIP-B, determined by high performance gel-filtration chromatography (HPGFC), were 11,775 and 23,161 Da, respectively. AAIP-B contained 51.23% uronic acid, characteristic of a pectin-type hetero-polysaccharide. Analysis of the neutral monosaccharide composition indicated that NAIP contained high proportions of arabinose, galactose and glucose. However, AAIP-B was mainly composed of rhamnose, arabinose and galactose. Their structure properties were confirmed by FT-IR.     

Chemical composition, mineral content and antioxidant activity of Verbena officinalis L.

Aqueous and hydroalcoholic extracts from Verbena officinalis L. were obtained and characterised. The analysis by HPLC-DAD and LC-MS allowed the detection and identification of three iridoids, fifteen flavonoids and four phenolic acid derivatives. Four flavonoids, scutellarein 7-diglucuronide (9), scutellarein 7-glucuronide (13), pedalitin 6-galactoside (15) and scutellarein 7-glucoside (19) are reported for the first time from this plant. In addition, three new flavonoids have been isolated: scutellarein 7-O-(2-O-feruloyl)-diglucuronide (5), pedalitin 6-O-diglucuronide (6) and pedalitin 6-O-(2-O-feruloyl)-diglucuronide (13). To our knowledge, these flavonoids have not been reported as natural products. Both extracts showed significant antioxidant activity using three in vitro model systems and the results have been correlated with total phenolic and total flavonoid contents. The results have allowed establishing an important relation structure-activity and significant correlations have also been found between the mineral content and the flavonoids present in both extracts.     

Chemical composition,anthocyanins, non-anthocyanin phenolics and antioxidant activity of wild bilberry (Vaccinium meridionale Swartz) from Colombia

Berries of Vaccinium meridionale Swartz native to Colombia were analysed for chemical composition, total phenolic content, anthocyanin content, and antioxidant activity. In addition, high-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection (HPLC–DAD) and HPLC-electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry (ESI–MS/MS) were used to determine anthocyanin and phenolic composition. Anthocyanin content was 329.0 ± 28.0 mg cyanidin 3-glucoside equivalents/100 g (fresh weight) FW and total phenolic content was 758.6 ± 62.3 mg gallic acid equivalent/100 g FW. Cyanidin 3-galactoside was the major anthocyanin while the most abundant non-anthocyanin phenolic was chlorogenic acid.     

Essential oil composition,antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of Mosla chinensis Maxim

The essential oil of Mosla chinensis Maxim was analysed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, and its main components are carvacrol (57.08%), p-cymene (13.61%), thymol acetate (12.68%), thymol (6.67%), and γ-terpinene (2.46%). The essential oil exhibited great potential antimicrobial activity against all eight bacterial and nine fungal strains. Antioxidant activity was also tested, the essential oil showing significantly higher antioxidant activity than that of the methanol extract. In addition, the amounts of total phenol components in the plant methanol extract (47.3 ± 0.4 μg/mg) and the oil (80.7 ± 0.5 μg/mg) were determined. The results presented here indicate that the essential oil of M. chinensis has antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, and is therefore a potential source of antimicrobial and antioxidant agents for the food and pharmaceutical industries.     

Flavonols, betacyanins content and antioxidant activity of cactus Opuntia macrorhiza fruits

Flavonols, betacyanins content and antioxidant activity of red-purple cactus Opuntia macrorhiza fruits, a promising cactus pear species, were evaluated in comparison to the well known cactus pear fruits of Opuntia ficus-indica. Flavonol profile was evaluated by HPLC-DAD prior to and after enzymatic hydrolysis (glycosides vs. aglycons). In addition betacyanins, responsible for the purple to red color of cactus pear fruits were also estimated and compared to Beta vulgaris ssp. (roots) and red O. ficus-indica fruits. In all cases, cactus fruit pulps showed no flavonols at all. While different derivatives of isorhamnetin glycosides were found in O. ficus-indica fruit's peel, isorhamnetin-3-O-rutinoside was the only compound in O. macrorhiza fruit. Correspondingly, antioxidant activity assays showed a high antioxidant activity of both, O. macrorhiza fruit's peel and pulp. With regard to betacyanins, O. macrorhiza fruit's peel and pulp provide a deep red-purple color, whose average impact is higher compared to red beet (B. vulgaris spp.) and about 8-fold higher than red fruits from O. ficus-indica. Supporting these results, estimation of color attributes (L*, a*, b*, C and H°) showed also a high color impact of both O. macrorhiza fruit's peel and pulp.     

Chemical composition,cytotoxic and antioxidant activity of the leaf essential oil of Photinia serrulata

The leaf essential oil of Photinia serrulata was obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC and GC-MS. Seventy-one components were identified in the essential oil and the main components of the oil were 10-epi-γ-eudesmol (12.72%), pinene (6.85%), sabinene (5.93%), α-humulene (5.87%) and α-thujene (5.47%). The in vitro cytotoxicity of the oil on human cancer cell lines Hela, A-549 and Bel-7402 was examined. The oil was found to be very active against all the three human tumor cell lines tested with low IC₅₀ of 0.0427 μl/ml (Hela), 0.0219 μl/ml (A-549) and 0.0301 μl/ml (Bel-7402). The oil was also found to possess antioxidant activity as demonstrated by the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical method.     

Polyphenols and triterpenes from Chaenomeles fruits: Chemical analysis and antioxidant activities assessment

Mugua, fruit of the genus Chaenomeles, is a valuable source of health food and Chinese medicine. To elucidate the bioactive compounds of five wild Chaenomeles species, extracts from fresh fruits were investigated by HPLC-DAD/ESI-MS/MS. Among the 24 polyphenol compounds obtained, 20 were flavan-3-ols (including catechin, epicatechin and procyanidin oligomers). The mean polymerisation degree (mDP) of procyanidins was examined by two acid-catalysed cleavage reactions; the mDP value was the highest in Chaenomeles sinensis and the lowest in Chaenomeles japonica. Total polyphenol content (TPC) reached 46.92 and 46.28 mg/g gallic acid equivalents (GAE) in Chaenomeles speciosa and Chaenomeles thibetica, respectively, although their main bioactive compounds were different (being epicatechin and procyanidin B2 in the former, and catechin and procyanidin B1 in the latter). These two species also exhibited equally strong free radical scavenging activities. Our results further showed that the antioxidant ability of Chaenomeles fruits was significantly correlated to their total polyphenol contents. Two triterpenes (oleanolic acid and ursolic acid) were the highest quantity in Chaenomeles cathayensis and C. thibetica, respectively.     

Isolation,chemical composition and antioxidant activities of a water-soluble polysaccharide from Cyclocarya paliurus (Batal.) Iljinskaja

A water-soluble polysaccharide was isolated from the water extract of Cyclocarya paliurus (Batal.) Iljinskaja, which is a well-known native health tea in China. This polysaccharide was named as CPP-1. The molecular weight of CPP-1 was determined by high-performance gel permeation chromatography, with an average molecular weight of about 1167 kDa. The analysis of monosaccharide composition in the polysaccharide by gas chromatography revealed that it was a heteropolysaccharide and consisted of d-xylose, l-arabinose, d-glucose, d-galactose, l-rhamnose and d-mannose in a molar ratio of 1.00:9.67:9.65:4.96:3.29:2.70. Furthermore, CPP-1 contains 8.44% of protein and 17 general amino acids, and it is rich in glutamic acid, asparagic acid, leucine, glycine, arginine, tyrosine and alanine. The antioxidant activity of CPP-1 was also evaluated. It was found that CPP-1 exerted significant scavenging effects on DPPH radicals with a value of around 91.4%, compared to the reference controls of BHT (91.2%) and ascorbic acid (98.9%) at a concentration of 400 μg/ml, and with EC₅₀ values of 52.3 μg/ml.