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Comparison of structural features and antioxidant activity of polysaccharides from natural and cultured Cordyceps sinensis

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Abstract

Four polysaccharides (named as P1, P2, and P3 from three natural Cordyceps sinensis and P4 from cultured C. sinensis) were obtained by hot-water extraction and ethanol precipitation and their structural characteristics as well as antioxidant potentials were compared. Results revealed that the backbone of P1, P2, and P3 comprised α-1,4-glucose, with a branching point mainly at position 6 and terminating at glucose. On the other hand, the structure of P4 was highly complex, mainly comprising glucose, galactose, and mannose, with 1,4-glucose and 1,4-galactose as the main chain. For in vitro antioxidant assays, all the four polysaccharides showed similar scavenging capacity against DPPH and hydroxyl radicals, whereas P1 had a relatively low ferric reducing ability, possibly related to a combination of factors such as the phenolic compounds and amino acids that conjugated in polysaccharides.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, 330047, China

    Junqiao Wang, Shaoping Nie, Lijiao Kan, Haihong Chen, Steve W. Cui & Mingyong Xie

  2. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Guelph Food Research Centre, Guelph, ON, N1G 5C9, Canada

    Steve W. Cui

  3. School of Medicine, University of Cardiff, Wales, UK

    Aled O. Phillips

  4. Phillips Hydrocolloids Research Centre, Glyndwr University, Wrexham, LL11 2AW Wales, UK

    Glyn O. Phillips

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  1. Junqiao Wang
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  2. Shaoping Nie
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  3. Lijiao Kan
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  4. Haihong Chen
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  5. Steve W. Cui
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  6. Aled O. Phillips
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  7. Glyn O. Phillips
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  8. Mingyong Xie
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Correspondence to Shaoping Nie.

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Wang, J., Nie, S., Kan, L. et al. Comparison of structural features and antioxidant activity of polysaccharides from natural and cultured Cordyceps sinensis . Food Sci Biotechnol 26, 55–62 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10068-017-0008-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10068-017-0008-3

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