Extraction, Preliminary Characterization, and Antioxidant Activity of Polysaccharides From Laetiporus Sulphureus Mushroom

Abstract

Due to its nutritional and medicinal properties, Laetiporus sulphureus has gained increased interest worldwide. The polysaccharides of L. sulphureus exhibit potentials as therapeutic agents for many chronic diseases. The optimal conditions for extraction of L. sulphureus polysaccharides, preliminary characterization, and in vitro antioxidant activity were investigated in the present study. The optimal extraction conditions included a temperature of 83°C for 3 h, and the ratio of material to liquid of 1:23 with an yield of 1.45%, which was close to the predicted value (1.36%). In vitro antioxidant activity assays showed that L. sulphureus polysaccharides effectively scavenged the 2,2′-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid), 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl, and hydroxyl radicals, and it also exhibited the reducing power using K3Fe (CN)6. The polysaccharides of L. sulphureus were mainly composed of glucose, galactose, xylose, fucose, and galactosamine hydrochloride, and with mass percentages of 49.6%, 27.9%, 12.7%, 8.20%, and 1.6%, respectively. These results suggested that L. sulphureus could be used as a potential source of natural antioxidants.