Purification, Structural Characterization, and Biological Activity of Polysaccharides from Lentinus velutinus

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