Research Progress on the Antitumor Effect of Polysaccharides from Fungus Used in Traditional Chinese Medicine

Cancer is a serious threat to human health. Fungal polysaccharide is a polar biological macromolecule with low toxicity. It has a wide range of biological activities, including immune regulation, antitumor activity, and antiviral activity. In recent years, the research results have shown that polysaccharides from fungus in traditional Chinese medicine have excellent antitumor effect in liver cancer, gastric cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer, esophageal cancer, and lung cancer. Therefore, the research and development of fungal polysaccharides are of great significance for the development of antitumor drugs in the future.

Evolutionary innovations through gain and loss of genes in the ectomycorrhizal Boletales

SUMMARYIn this study, we aim to identify genomic traits of the transitions to the ectomycorrhizal ecology within the Boletales, one of the most diverse lineages of symbiotrophic fungi.We sequenced the genomes and compared the gene repertoires of symbiotrophic Boletales species to their saprotrophic brown-rot relatives. We also reconstructed gene duplication/loss histories along a time-calibrated phylogeny.We showed that the rate of gene duplication is constant along the backbone of Boletales phylogeny with large loss events in lineages leading to several families. The rate of gene family expansion sharply increased in the late Miocene and mostly took place in Boletaceae.Most of the ectomycorrhizal Boletales are characterized by a large genome size due to transposable element (TE) expansions and a reduction in the diversity of plant cell wall degrading enzymes (PCWDEs) compared to their brown-rot relatives. However, several species in the Boletaceae, Paxillaceae and Boletinellaceae have kept a substantial set of endoglucanases and LPMOs acting on cellulose/hemicellulose and fungal polysaccharides suggesting that they may partly decompose organic matter by a combined activity of oxidative and hydrolytic enzymes.The present study provides novel insights on our understanding of the mechanisms that influence the evolutionary diversification of boletes and symbiosis evolution.

Natural microbial polysaccharides as effective factors for modification of the catalytic properties of fungal cellobiose dehydrogenase

Polysaccharides are biopolymers composed of simple sugars like glucose, galactose, mannose, fructose, etc. The major natural sources for the production of polysaccharides include plants and microorganisms. In the present work, four bacterial and two fungal polysaccharides (PS or EPS) were used for the modification and preservation of Pycnoporus sanguineus cellobiose dehydrogenase (CDH) activity. It was found that the presence of polysaccharide preparations clearly enhanced the stability of cellobiose dehydrogenase compared to the control value (4 °C). The highest stabilization effect was observed for CDH modified with Rh110EPS. Changes in the optimum pH in the samples of CDH incubated with the chosen polysaccharide modifiers were evidenced as well. The most significant effect was observed for Rh24EPS and Cu139PS (pH 3.5). Cyclic voltammetry used for the analysis of electrochemical parameters of modified CDH showed the highest peak values after 30 days of incubation with polysaccharides at 4 °C. In summary, natural polysaccharides seem to be an effective biotechnological tool for the modification of CDH activity to increase the possibilities of its practical applications in many fields of industry.

Isolation, structure characteristics and antioxidant activity of two water-soluble polysaccharides from Lenzites betulina

Background Fungal polysaccharides belong to a very important class of biological macromolecules in nature, and have complex monosaccharide composition and structure. These studies on structure and biological activity of fungal polysaccharides have become one of the research hotspots of scholars at home and abroad. Results This study was performed in order to understand the structural characteristics and antioxidant activity of polysaccharides from Lenzites betulina (LBPs). The LBPs were deproteinized using sevag method, and further purified by DEAE cellulose-52 column and Sephadex G-100 column chromatographies, then the two refined polysaccharides were obtained and named LBPs-5 and LBPs-6. Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FT-IR) showed that LBPs-5 and LBPs-6 are typical β-pyranose with characteristic peaks of polysaccharides. The molecular weight of the two water-soluble polysaccharides were estimated to be 3.235 × 103 Da and 6.196 × 103 Da by HPGPC, respectively. HPLC with PMP derivatization analysis indicated that the monosaccharide compositions of LBPs-5 were mannose, glucuronic acid, glucose, and galactose in a molar ratio of 0.05:0.15:0.76:0.04. The monosaccharide compositions of LBPs-6 were mannose, glucuronic acid, and glucose, in a molar ratio of 0.04:0.17:0.79. Furthermore, the two water-soluble polysaccharides demonstrated strong scavenging effects on DPPH·, ABTS·+, ·OH and weak total reducing power, especially LBPs-6 was significantly stronger in scavenging rate than that of LBPs-5. Conclusions The outcome of the study indicated that LBPs had good potential as medicine and food.

Comparison of Polysaccharides Extracted from Cultivated Mycelium of Inonotus obliquus with Polysaccharide Fractions Obtained from Sterile Conk (Chaga) and Birch Heart Rot

The polysaccharides of the sterile conk of Inonotus obliquus (Chaga) have demonstrated multiple bioactivities. The mycelium of this basidiomycete, obtained after submerged cultivation, has been considered a feasible alternative to the sterile conk for the production of polysaccharides. However, previous research has paid little attention to the differences in the structures of polymers obtained from the different resources. Moreover, the birch wood colonized by I. obliquus has never been investigated as a source of bioactive polysaccharides. In the present study, polysaccharide fractions produced from cultivated mycelium, sterile conks of different geographical origins, and birch heart rot were investigated. High amounts of phenolic compounds, possibly lignans, were bound to the sterile conk polysaccharides. Mycelial polysaccharides were rich in α- and β-glucans and had high (105 Da) and low (104 Da) molecular weight populations. On the other hand, sterile conk polysaccharides were mainly β-glucan of lower and monodispersed molecular weight (103 Da). Heart rot polysaccharides were comprised mainly of low molecular weight (103 Da) hemicelluloses. Nevertheless, fungal polysaccharides were identified in the extracts. The differences in structure and molecular properties among the polysaccharide fractions of mycelium, heart rot, and sterile conk are likely associated with differences in bioactivities and, therefore, in nutraceutical potential.

Polysaccharide MCP extracted from Morchella esculenta reduces atherosclerosis in LDLR-deficient mice

The pharmaceutical application of fungal polysaccharides has been extensively studied based on their multiple biological activities. However, the effect of Morchella esculenta polysaccharides on the development of atherosclerosis remains unknown....

Isolation, Structure Characteristics and Antioxidant Activity of Two Water-Soluble Polysaccharides from Lenzites betulina

Background: Fungal polysaccharides belong to a very important class of biological macromolecules in nature, and have complex monosaccharide composition and structure. These studies on structure and biological activity of fungal polysaccharides have become one of the research hotspots of scholars at home and abroad. Results: This study was performed in order to understand the structural characteristics and antioxidant activity of polysaccharides from Lenzites betulina (LBPs). The LBPs were deproteinized using sevag method, and further purified by DEAE cellulose-52 column and Sephadex G-100 column chromatographies, then the two refined polysaccharides were obtained and named LBPs-5 and LBPs-6. Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FT-IR) showed that LBPs-5 and LBPs-6 are typical β-pyranose with characteristic peaks of polysaccharides. The molecular weight of the two water-soluble were estimated to be 3.235×103 Da and 6.196×103 Da by HPGPC, respectively. HPLC with PMP derivatization analysis indicated that the monosaccharide compositions of LBPs-5 were mannose, glucuronic acid, glucose, and galactose in a molar ratio of 0.05:0.15:0.76:0.04. The monosaccharide compositions of LBPs-6 were mannose, glucuronic acid, and glucose, in a molar ratio of 0.04:0.17:0.79. Furthermore, the two water-soluble polysaccharides demonstrated strong scavenging effects on DPPH·, ABTS.+, ·OH and weak total reducing power, especially LBPs-6 was significantly stronger in scavenging rate than that of LBPs-5. Conclusions: The outcome of the study indicated that LBPs had good potential as medicine and food.